Hanh, owner of a fruit shop in HCMC’s District 3, said supply of the fruit is limited even though it is in season.
“I only managed to procure 300 kilograms this harvest and sold out almost immediately.
“Thanh Hoa seedless lychee is a rare delicacy. To get them, customers must place orders a month ahead and be willing to pay a premium.”
Tran Thi Ngoc Chau, who runs the Tam Ngoc Garden Fruit store in District 8, said she knew some established fruit traders but was still only able to buy a few tons of seedless lychees, not enough to meet the huge pre-orders she had received.
Many of her customers, mostly office workers and people with relatively high incomes, were impressed by the taste and came back to place large orders, she said.
“They praised the lychees for their pleasant sweetness and crisp flesh.”
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Thanh Hoa seedless lychees on sale at a store in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo obtained by VnExpress |
Bui Duc Thuy, deputy director of Ho Guom – Song Am High Tech Agriculture, a company that farms the fruit in Thanh Hoa’s Ngoc Lac District, said its output dropped by 33% from 2024 to seven tons this year due to bad weather and pests.
“Over 550 kilograms [of the fruit] were exported to France. The remainder is not enough to meet domestic demand and so we had to turn down many orders.”
The company has a 40-hectare farm, but plans to expand to 200 ha by 2030. Its lychees meet local and global standards like VietGAP and GlobalGAP.
The seedless variety has a similar shape to the traditional type but has no seed or a very small one. It is usually larger, with a kilogram containing only 25–27 fruits as against 30-35 for the regular one.
It has bright red skin, thick and crisp flesh that is not sticky like regular lychee and also has a lower sugar content.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the seedless variety cannot be grown on a large scale yet because the trees require very specific climate and farming techniques.
Around June-July, the fruit is only harvested in Vietnam and China.
Vietnam is gradually building a brand for its seedless lychee, targeting the premium segment within the country and export markets.
A small quantity of Chinese seedless lychees is also imported into Vietnam at VND600,000-700,000 per kilogram, but the Vietnamese variety is more popular for its freshness, lighter flavor and less bitterness.
