Bac Giang lychees now available on Alibaba e-commerce platform

The Department of Industry and Trade of Bac Giang province is coordinating with Alibaba.com’s agent in Vietnam to support the Hung Thao Import-Export and Trading Company Limited (Luc Ngan district) to put local lychees on sale on Alibaba.com e-commerce platform from May 17.

Farmers in Luc Ngan district harvest lychee. Filed photo.

Joining the e-commerce marketplace is a huge opportunity to sell the local specialty to customers around the world online without using traditional marketing channels, thus helping promote and sell Bac Giang lychees favorably and improve the value of the goods.

Currently, the provincial Department of Industry and Trade and Alibaba.com’s agent in Vietnam are providing training for businesses to operate and trade on the platform most effectively.

In order to facilitate the transportation and sale of lychees this year, in Luc Ngan district, a number of individuals and businesses have been investing in lychee preservation lines.

They include the Global Food Import and Export Joint Stock Company, with a capacity of 10-20 tonnes per day, or about 600 tonnes per crop (maximum preservation time is 30 days); the Hong Giang General Services Cooperative with a capacity of about 20 tonnes per day or about 600 tonnes per crop (preservation time is 15-20 days); and the Tam Thinh Cooperative with a capacity of about 10-20 tonnes per day or about 600 tonnes per crop (preservation time is about 15-20 days).

Along with preservation lines and equipment, businesses in the district have also produced foam boxes and ice bars, meeting the needs of traders who come to buy lychees.

The early-ripening lychees are expected to be harvested from May 23 while the main-crop lychees from June 10. With an area of more than 15,400 hectares, the district's lychee production in this crop is estimated at about 120,000 tonnes.