DFNet

August 26, 2026 | vnExpress |

Vietnam’s lychee exports fell 51% year-on-year to US$16.4 million in the first half of 2026 as reduced production and rising prices weakened the fruit’s competitiveness in international markets. Lychee accounted for only 0.8% of the country’s fruit and vegetable exports, down from 2.05% a year earlier.

Exporters reported substantial declines in shipments as higher domestic fruit prices combined with increased air freight and cold-storage costs. One Hanoi-based company saw its lychee exports fall by 70%, with rising logistics expenses further reducing profit margins.

The higher prices were largely caused by poor harvests following unfavorable weather during flowering and fruit-setting. Vietnam has around 55,000 hectares of lychee cultivation, concentrated mainly in northern areas. Bac Ninh’s production declined nearly 36% to 131,560 tonnes, contributing to farm-gate prices rising to VND90,000–120,000 per kilogram.

The impact was particularly severe for a rare seedless variety in Thanh Hoa, where production dropped from seven tonnes to only one tonne. Its price consequently doubled to VND600,000 per kilogram.

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