Bac Giang (VNA) - The northern province ofBac Giang has granted c🎃ultivation area codes to many orchards growing lycheefor export to Japan this year, according to the provincial Department of Agricultureand Rural Development.

Nineteen cultivation area codes have been issued todate for 103 ha of lychee in the province to be exported to the country, primarilyin the communes of Hong Giang, Nam Duong, Tan Son, Quy Son, Giap Son, and HoDap in Luc Ngan district and Phuc Hoa commune in Tan Yen district. The province is actively directing lychee growers in followingstandardised production processes while encouraging businesses to buy lychee for exportto Japan. Bac Giang has over 28,100 hectares of lychee trees expectedto produce some 160,000 tonnes of the fruit. The early lychee harvest is estimatedto be 45,000 tonnes on 6,000 hectares, with the remainder grown during the maincrop. The province has recently expanded its VietGAP-standardlychee coverage to 14,300 hectares and its GlobalGAP-standard coverage to 80hectares. It also has 200 hectares of lychee with cultivationcodes granted for exports to the US. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, Director of the provincialDepartment of Industry and Trade Tran Quang Tan said scenarios have been preparedfor lychee to be consumed when the pandemic ends or if the situation becomesmore complicated. China remains Bac Giang’s key export market. If exportswere to decline due to the pandemic, the province would increase the volume of dried lychee fruit and lychee juice while conducting online promotions. The province will also continue to promote lychee sold indomestic supermarket networks, wholesale markets, and in the south. Bac Giang sold over 147,000 tonnes of lychee lastyear, valued at 4,675 billion VND (197.3 million USD)./.