Vietnamese lychees on shelves of retail chains in the US. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese lychees have for the first time been put on shelves of Costco, the largest retail chain in the US with 635 stores across the US and Canada, according to the Việt Nam Trade Office in San Francisco.

The success of selling Vietnamese lychees at retail chains such as Safeway and Costco highlights the potential of Việt Nam’s high-quality farm produce exports.

Dragonberry Produce, a fruit importer in the US, has successfully distributed lychees from Bắc Ninh Province in the US through major retail systems, including Safeway and Costco, for three consecutive years. 

The lychees are sold in the US under the brand Golden Lychees. The fruit is cultivated in Việt Nam under Global GAP standards to meet the US phytosanitary requirements and irradiated in Việt Nam before being shipped by sea to the US. 

A representative from Dragonberry said that Vietnamese lychees are gaining increasing popularity among US consumers, emphasising that maintaining quality and developing brand recognition are the key priorities.

Dragonberry is working closely with local farmers and businesses to standardise farming, post-harvest processing and preservation techniques. The company is also exploring opportunities to expand exports of other fruits such as longan, dragon fruit and passion fruit. — BIZHUB/VNS