Vietnamese lychee is sold in Singapore. — VNA/VNS Photo

Vietnamese lychees have been put up for sale in Singapore’s FairPrice supermarket chain, making the first time the fruit has been imported to the Southeast Asian country on a large scale.

According to the Commercial Affairs Office under the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, nearly 50 tonnes of lychee have been shipped to Singapore via Hai Phong Port so far, and the export volume is expected to reach 100 tonnes this year.

Thanks to its good quality and eye-catching appearance, the fruit has quickly won over local consumers, leaving shelves in many supermarkets empty after only two weeks.

It was sold at SG$5 (US$3.59) per kg in the first week under a promotion programme, and SG$6 in the next week.

Tran Thu Quynh, Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Singapore, said since early 2018, the office had worked with major Singaporean importers to introduce the fruit, and held working sessions with Singaporean experts in lychee preservation.

Over the past three years, the office has organised trips to Viet Nam for Singaporean fruit importers, including FairPrice whose representatives examined Vietnamese lychee farms.

Since the beginning of this year’s lychee season, it has worked with the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency and the Department of Industry and Trade of Bac Giang Province, dubbed the kingdom of lychee in Viet Nam, to hold an online workshop promoting the fruit.

Quynh said the office planned to work with Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces, and FairPrice to organise a Vietnamese lychee day in Singapore for the next crop.

With the support of Singaporean experts, it was designing leaflets introducing the fruit in English, she added. — VNS