Bac Giang lychee harvest begins May 25—exports strengthened with 117 GlobalGAP-certified orchards

Bac Giang lychee: early harvest begins May 25

Bac Giang province in northern Vietnam announced that the early harvest of the 2026 lychee crop would begin on May 25. Full harvest is expected from June 10, and it forecasts production of about 95,000 tonnes from a cultivation area of 29,800 ha. It is a major drop from the previous year's (2025) 165,000 tonnes, a result of high temperatures and insufficient cold during the flower-bud differentiation period, but on the quality side, with the expansion of certified orchards, the share of high-quality lychee for export is expected to rise.

Lower yield from erratic weather, yet reasons to strengthen the export system

Against the bumper 165,000 tonnes of the 2025 crop, the 2026 crop is projected to come in at about 95,000 tonnes (about 60% of the planned target). The breakdown is expected to be over 40,000 tonnes on 8,200 ha for early varieties and over 55,000 tonnes on 21,600 ha for mainstay varieties.

The main cause of the drop is insufficient winter cold needed for flower-bud differentiation. However, Bac Giang's agriculture department explains that "to the extent volume fell, the sugar content and fruit size per fruit have improved, and the proportion of lychee meeting export specifications will actually increase."

GlobalGAP 204 ha, VietGAP 16,000 ha: expansion of certified area

In 2026, Bac Giang province expanded its GlobalGAP-certified area to 204 ha (about 173 ha the previous year). VietGAP certification covers an even wider area of about 16,000 ha. In addition, fields registered with a cultivation code for export to Japan number 39 sites at about 327 ha, securing production for export to Japan of about 3,500 tonnes a year.

The 117 GlobalGAP-certified orchards function as a quality-assurance base for high-income-country markets such as the EU, Australia, and Japan, with each process—residue testing, traceability, and postharvest management—compliant with international standards.

Export destinations: China, Japan, EU, Thailand, US, Australia

Bac Giang lychee's export destinations extend to China (the largest market), Japan, the EU, Thailand, the US, and Australia. For the Japanese market, one fumigation, sterilization, and packing facility within Bac Giang province and three outside it are operating, and the system for meeting quarantine requirements is in place.

In 2025, Vietnam's lychee exports as a whole expanded to the North American market too, with export promotion carried out in coordination with Bac Ninh province. Bac Giang province is also riding this flow, using 33 export-oriented cultivation codes to advance multi-market expansion.

Voices from the region: reactions of farmers, administration, and buyers

A GlobalGAP-certified farmer in Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province, says, "We've held GlobalGAP since 2021 on a 1.5-ha orchard and harvest 10 to 14 tonnes every year. Having certification made a long-term contract with a buyer for Japan possible."

The Bac Giang People's Committee is promoting hands-on agritourism at lychee orchards timed to the harvest season, aiming at both growing-region branding and consumption expansion.

From Japanese import trading companies comes the assessment that "Vietnamese lychee is price-competitive compared with Taiwanese and Chinese products, and the quality assurance from GlobalGAP certification is a differentiating factor."

Lessons for the Japanese market and readers

Vietnamese lychee in Japan is a seasonal product that appears on shelves in the short window of June–July. Because of the lower yield in 2026, a rise in spot prices is expected. However, the stable supply from certified orchards is in many cases secured by long-term contracts, and supply to major mass retailers is not expected to be much affected.

For food-processing and beverage manufacturers, caution is needed over rising procurement costs for frozen lychee and lychee puree. In a low-yield year, early negotiation to secure raw material is called for.

Ripple effects on the industry: certification-based farming becomes the standard for ASEAN fruit exports

Bac Giang province's effort is a model case of "certification-based export agriculture" centered on GlobalGAP certification. In Vietnam, produce exports reached US$2.06 billion in January–April 2026 (Related Articles), and expanding certified area toward the annual target of US$10 billion has become an urgent task.

The first pomelo export to Australia (Related Articles) and the expansion of dragon fruit toward Thailand and the UAE (Related Articles), and so on—Vietnam's multi-market strategy for its fruit is steadily advancing, and lychee has become one of the items with the most advanced certification system among them.

Frequently asked questions

I hear Bac Giang's 2026 lychee yield is down—will there be an impact on supply to Japan?

The overall drop is about 42%, but supply for Japan is secured as stable supply from GlobalGAP-certified orchards (327 ha). The impact on long-term contract volumes is limited, but spot procurement carries the possibility of price increases.

When is the harvest season for Vietnamese lychee?

In Bac Giang province, early varieties begin harvest from late May and mainstay varieties from early June. They typically appear on Japanese shelves from mid-June through July.

What is the difference between GlobalGAP and VietGAP certification?

GlobalGAP is an internationally recognized agricultural certification, essential for exports to high-income-country markets such as the EU, Australia, and Japan. VietGAP is a Vietnamese domestic standard, geared to domestic distribution and exports to China and Thailand. GlobalGAP has stricter residue standards and traceability requirements.

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Sources:

• Vietnam.vn: Northern lychee capital expects early harvest from May 25
• VietnamPlus: Bac Giang – More lychee to be grown for export to Japan
• Vietnam.vn: Bac Giang promoting sale of 15,000 tons early-ripening lychees