Vietnamese fresh lychees popular with Japanese consumers
VOV.VN - Vietnam’s fresh lychees have been exported to Japan for several years and the fruit has gradually been accepted by local consumers due to its freshness and succulence.
Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese fresh lychees have been shipped to Japan with increasing quantity, meeting the demanding market’s safety and hygiene requirements.
Japan imports lychees from Taiwan (China) and Thailand. But since the fruit grown in Vietnam hit Japanese shelves, local consumers have made quite interesting comparisons.
“This is the first time I have tasted lychee from Vietnam. The fruit is very succulent and delicious. Compared with other lychees on sale in Japan, the Vietnamese fruit is sweeter and tastier,” says a Japanese resident.
A young Japanese man even links lychee tasting to health improvement.
“Vietnamese lychee is very fresh and succulent. Lychee eating is very good for health. In summer, the lychee, if mixed with other drinks, will become a good source of food that can help beat the heat,” says the young man.
Since December 15, 2019, the Japanese Government has officially allowed Vietnamese businesses to ship fresh lychees to this market, and the export volume of this fruit has steadily increased year by year.
Ta Duc Minh, Vietnamese trade counselor in Japan, points out approximately 400 tonnes of fresh lychees were exported to Japan in 2021 and they were sold out.
“In the near future, the trade office will coordinate with domestic agencies and Japanese importers to popularize Vietnamese agricultural products including lychees in Japan. In addition, we will also organize many marketing events to promote Vietnamese lychees and other agricultural products through Foodex or similar festivals,” says Minh.
Currently, first shipments of Vietnamese lychees grown in Bac Giang and Hai Duong have arrived at Japanese ports and the juicy fruit is expected to hit local shelves very soon.
Along with other Vietnamese fruits such as dragon fruit and banana, Vietnamese lychee is anticipated to gain a firm foothold in this demanding market.
