In recent days, early-ripening lychees have started appearing on online marketplaces with prices reaching up to two or three times the normal price. Sellers are promoting these as the U Hong variety, which is widely cultivated in Dak Lak province.
U Hong lychees are harvested from April to June each year. This variety is known for its plump fruits with a slight pinkish hue. Each fruit is about the size of a chicken egg and has a sweet and slightly sour taste, not as intensely sweet as the thieu lychees grown in northern Vietnam.
Early-ripening U Hong lychees are being sold on online marketplaces for over 100,000 VND per kilogram.
” This year, the lychee yield has dropped to only 40 – 50% compared to last year, and transportation costs have also increased, so the price of U Hong lychees is currently very high. The price at the garden is currently 40,000 – 60,000 VND per kilogram for grade 1, and when it reaches traders, the price can reach over 100,000 VND per kilogram “, said an U Hong lychee garden owner in Dak Lak.
Ms. Kieu Oanh, a lychee grower in Dak Lak, added that grade 1 lychees grown according to VietGAP standards will be more expensive, costing over 100,000 VND per kilogram, while grade 2 and 3 lychees will be cheaper, around 70,000 VND per kilogram.
Currently, early U Hong lychees from Dak Lak are mainly supplied to the southern market, and only a few online businesses in northern Vietnam import a small quantity for early sales.
Online marketplaces are advertising U Hong lychees and attracting many customers. (Screenshot)
An online retailer in Hanoi shared that she imported early-season U Hong lychees directly from Dak Lak and has started selling them for the past three days. Each batch of goods sells out as soon as it arrives, and many customers want to buy in bulk, but the store does not have enough supply to fulfill their orders and has to ask customers to come back later.
” This year, the lychee crop is poor, so each time I import goods, I can only get a small quantity, around 15 – 20 kilograms of good quality lychees. The price of early-season lychees is still high, so customers usually only buy 2 – 3 kilograms to enjoy early in the season rather than making large purchases “, she said.
In addition to U Hong lychees from Dak Lak, the U Hong Phu Cu egg lychee variety (Hung Yen) is also attracting customers. Ms. Lan, an online importer of fruits in Hai Phong, said that this variety is not widely available, and it is even rarer at the beginning of the season, so its price is on par with U Hong lychees grown in Dak Lak.
” Hung Yen egg lychees have large, red fruits and a sweet, fragrant flavor, making them a sought-after treat for discerning consumers. I am currently selling this variety for 70,000 – 90,000 VND per kilogram.
Since this variety is rare and available in limited quantities at the beginning of the season, I am unable to meet the high demand from customers. I have just ordered over 100 kilograms of lychees to sell, but I am worried that it will not be enough to fulfill orders “, said Ms. Lan.
