The Perfect Summer Fruit: When Livestreaming Saved the Day for Plum Farmers

From July 1-7, in an interview with NLD reporters, Mr. Phan Van Net, Director of Phì Điền Agricultural Production, Commerce, and Services Cooperative (Bac Ninh province), shared that he had just sent another container of lychees to Ho Chi Minh City for consumers after a livestream event at the orchard.

According to Mr. Net, who monitored the livestream, many consumers nationwide inquired about purchasing the lychees. If all these inquiries were converted into sales, the volume would be very high. During the program, the lychees were only delivered to customers in Ho Chi Minh City, neighboring areas, and Hanoi.

These lychees are produced according to Global GAP standards and are exported to demanding markets such as the US, Australia, and Japan.

“The quality of lychees for export and domestic sales is equivalent,” Mr. Net compared, “The only difference is that domestic lychees have stems and leaves to suit the preferences of local consumers, while exported ones only have the fruit.”

According to TikTok Shop, more than 55 tons of Luc Ngan lychees were sold during the “Luc Ngan Lychee Week – Proud of Vietnamese Agriculture” event organized by the platform in collaboration with the People’s Committee of Bac Giang province (now merged into Bac Ninh) and the seller Sendo Farm.

During the program, Mr. Pham Van Thinh, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Giang province, went live, accompanied by content creators such as Ngoc Kem, Me Sam Review, Anh Tay Oi, and Master Chef Hai.

In Ho Chi Minh City, some customers reported that placing orders was quite difficult as the shopping cart was often in a “sold out” state. They had to constantly check for availability to purchase lychees for themselves and as gifts for friends and family.

According to records, the price of a 5 kg batch of GlobalGap standard lychees delivered to the South was 150,000 VND/kg, while the price for Hanoi was 120,000 VND/kg. With promotions, Hanoi customers could buy lychees for as low as 85,000 VND, and Ho Chi Minh City customers for 107,500 VND/kg.

Mr. Net shared that with the support of the parties involved, consumers were able to purchase certain batches at prices lower than those at the orchard. This year, the lychee harvest was abundant, resulting in lower prices. Lychees from high-quality orchards were priced at 20,000-22,000 VND/kg, while those from lower-quality orchards sold for 7,000-10,000 VND/kg.

Ms. Phuong Thuy (Ho Chi Minh City) was surprised to receive the lychees on Monday after placing her order on Saturday. The quality of the lychees was better than those bought from the market as they were cold-stored until they reached the consumers. Lychees sold at wholesale markets are typically stored at room temperature, resulting in faster quality degradation. Meanwhile, the price of lychees transported by air is 65,000-70,000 VND/kg.