Customs clearance opens up, lychees have more ways to go

40 training courses for lychee farmers

In the early days of summer, clusters of bright red lychees have been brought to the market, signaling the beginning of the harvest season. Mr. Nguyen Van Lenh, a long-time lychee grower in Thanh Quang commune, quietly watches his lychee garden as if looking back at a whole cycle of care. "This year's lychees are beautiful and ripe, people have used the right chemicals and nourished the fruit according to instructions, we are just waiting for the day to pick them," he said.

One news, one happy season

Mr. Lenh is not the only one who is filled with joy these days because not only is the lychee crop good, but the market door is also wide open. The information that the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) confirmed that it will continue to coordinate to facilitate customs clearance for Vietnamese agricultural products, especially lychee, durian, banana... brings joy and great confidence to lychee growers.

Farmers now not only know how to take care of plants but also know how to read market demands. Photo: Ba Thang

The positive results from the working trip of Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy to the General Department of Customs of China not only created excitement in the lychee capital Thanh Ha but also in Bac Giang - the largest lychee growing region in the country.

Compared to other localities, Bac Giang has outstanding lychee export output to China, especially from Chu town and Luc Ngan district, where lychee varieties with sweet fruit and bright red skin are grown, favored by the Chinese market as a specialty fruit.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh - Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection assessed: "For seasonal agricultural products, customs clearance time is a key factor. If the green lane is not guaranteed, lychee only needs to be delayed by a few hours to lose price and lose partners. Growers spend 10 months of care, but only have 2 months to sell."

China is a major fruit export market for Vietnam. Resuming the coordination mechanism, shortening procedures, and increasing customs clearance capacity, even late at night, will help farmers, traders, and businesses feel secure in selling their products, without worrying about lychee congestion at the border gate.

In Hai Duong , 100% of lychee growing areas have applied VietGAP procedures, many areas have met GlobalGAP standards. However, the journey from VietGAP to commercial success is still a challenging one. Especially with seasonal fruits like lychees, the time of circulation and bringing products to consumers is a vital factor. If delayed by one day, the freshness will decrease, and the competitiveness will also decrease.

Mr. Lenh said: "Right from the beginning of the season, I have prepared ice blocks, foam boxes, and transport vehicles. When there is an order, I pick it right in the morning, pack it quickly, and leave before noon. Not a minute late, because if it is only 2-3 hours late, the lychee will turn dark and dark, making it very difficult to sell, especially for export."

Currently, Vietnam has about 1.3 million hectares of fruit trees, with an output of more than 14 million tons. In 2024, fruit exports alone will reach more than 7 billion USD. Of which, lychee is one of the main seasonal fruit export products. Currently, the lychee area of our country is about 56,000 hectares, of which Bac Giang accounts for nearly 30,000 hectares, Hai Duong nearly 9,000 hectares, each lychee crop is considered an "economic season".

Towards official channels

The biggest positive point in this year’s lychee crop is not only the quality of the fruit, but also the change in production thinking. Keeping a diary, isolating pesticides according to standards, controlling growing area codes... have become responsibilities that farmers strictly follow, not just to meet the requirements of importers.

Training courses organized by the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the agricultural extension system, and the agricultural service center are always full of people. People want to understand market standards to avoid mistakes, not only to sell this crop but also to maintain confidence for the next crop. Farmers now not only know how to take care of plants but also know how to read market requirements. No steps are cut, all for a further litchi crop.

Vietnam’s fruit industry is gradually shifting from the traditional way to the industrial way, from selling at markets to selling at border gates, from short-term to sustainable. Each lychee crop is a test, a small lesson for agriculture to stand on its own two feet.

This year, the change also comes from the trading partners. China, which used to be considered an easy-going market for agricultural imports, now has many strict requirements, but is also an active partner in coordination. "Instead of having problems with each shipment, the two sides have a mechanism for regular exchange of growing area codes, quarantine conditions, and customs clearance schedules. That is what farmers need most right now," said Deputy Director Nguyen Quoc Manh.

If the "bottleneck" at the border gate cannot be removed, all efforts at the initial stage, from clean farming to pesticide residue control, will be sacrificed in a few hours of waiting in the hot midday sun at the Lang Son border gate. But if it can be done, farmers have the right to dream of uninterrupted harvests, no longer depending on "God's will" or whether the border gate is open or not.

If goods are congested, stored, and not consumed in time, not only will there be a loss in price, but the entire farming schedule will also be disrupted. More worryingly, farmers will not be able to rotate capital to continue investing in the next season. With lychee trees - perennial fruit trees, this can have a chain effect on the entire care cycle that lasts almost all year round.

The story begins with lychee, but it is also a mirror for the entire fruit industry. What is happening, from transparency in growing areas to quality standardization, will be a prerequisite for many other fruits to reach further if the agricultural sector continues to stay on the official path.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh, the fruit industry cannot survive on individual crops, but must establish a stable position through the ability to meet market standards and trust. "Only when each growing area has its own identity and each shipment has a transparent history, can we discuss sustainability in fruit exports," he emphasized.

Huong Hoai (According to nongnghiep.vn)

Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/129241/Thong-quan-mo-loi-vai-thieu-them-duong-di-xa