Mr Tan says a conference to boost lychee consumption in 2018 was held in Pingxiang, Guangxi, China on May 29, drawing the participation of hundreds of Chinese agencies and businesses. Bac Giang leaders invited more than 80 Chinese businesses to Bac Giang to inspect lychee plantation areas and place orders for the fruit.

Mr Tan reveals that on June 8, the province will welcome more than 300 domestic and foreign businesses who will be presented with information regarding the preparations for lychee consumption and conduct a survey on the provincial plantation areas.

The province has yielded a bumper crop this year thanks to the favourable weather conditions, with an estimated output of around 150,000-180,000 tons.

Last year, around 30% of Vietnam’s lychees were exported to China, and 10% were shipped to other markets, while the remainder was distributed on the domestic market. This year around 40% of lychee production will be for export as demand grows due to the higher quality of the Vietnamese fruits.