Europe Ideal for Fresh Lychee Trade but Logistics an Issue

Article by: Hari Yellina

According to legend, the first lychee tree was planted over 200 years ago in the Thanh Ha District of Hai Duong Province, Vietnam. Mr. Hoang Van Com, a fruit and vegetable trader, returned from one of his business visits with seedlings from the tree. He placed the seedlings, and because the climate in the area is ideal for lychees, all three seeds germinated and grew into trees. One of the three trees bore very good fruits, and its branches were extracted and spread, resulting in the beginning of regional lychee production.

Mrs. Hue (Jolie), Export Manager at Ameii Viet Nam JSC, says enthusiastically: “As a pioneer in our country, one of our firm achievements is that we were able to create fresh lychee exports to the most difficult markets, such as Japan and Europe.” We have a team of import and export experts on staff with many years of experience. We also sell durian and longan in addition to lychee. Japan, Korea, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic are among our top export destinations. “We ship by air as well as by sea.”

“Starting in late December 2019 and early 2020, due to Covid-19, shipping costs have jumped two, three times, and some timetables have been elevated by eight times,” Mrs. Jolie continues. We now have to deal with the fact that shipping expenses are higher than our manufacturing costs! This is one of the major problems facing our company’s growth strategy in terms of establishing a brand in new countries, particularly in Europe. However, we have been attempting to introduce our European partners to the unique flavour of Vietnamese agricultural products. For example, this year’s early lychee crop from May 2022 is the most recent order we’ve dispatched to the European market. Positive feedback from our clients on the sweetness and quality of the product encourages us to expand this market.”

“When it comes to weather and climate change, one of the most essential aspects for all horticulture goods and lychee production is the weather. The weather has been odd and unpredictable this season. There has been a lot of rain, and the weather has been cooler than typical. Even in the middle of July, we felt the chill. This change in the weather could cause a minor delay in the lychee harvest, according to Jolie. “We estimated that the lychee harvest would be roughly 10-15 days later than the same period last year,” he says. The Vietnam Economic Times named Ameii Vietnam JSC one of the Top 10 Trusted Brands in Agriculture, Food, and Beverage Industry Awards in 2021. “That is a tremendous honour for our organisation,” Jolie concludes.