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| A farmer harvests Thanh Ha lychees in the northern province of Hai Duong. The fresh fruit are exported to countries including France, Australia and Japan. — Photo Tran Viet |
HA NOI (Biz Hub) — National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) will reduce freight for exporting lychees to France by 20 per cent, said Deputy General Director Trinh Ngoc Thanh.
At present, the country applies a freight of US$2.15 per kg of the fruit shipped to France – or $3.4 with additional fees for fuel and insurance.
The new freight, including fuel and insurance fees, will be $2.95 per kg.
The reduction of freight is aimed at supporting and encouraging the export of fresh lychees to French markets this year; the move is also expected to help expand markets in Europe.
For freighting the fruit to European markets, the country currently levies US$2.05-2.15 per kg. With additional fees for fuel and insurance, it comes to around US$3.3-3.4 per kg.
Earlier, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed the Ministry of Transport to consider and direct the VNA to coordinate with relevant agencies to support the transport and freight of about 2-3 tonnes of lychees this year.
With support from the Commercial Affair Office of the Vietnamese Embassy in France, importers sent French experts to Viet Nam to share with them the processing and conservation technology of fresh lychees, which will be sold as part of a pilot programme to explore the market.
A valuation of the Commercial Affair Office and importers shows that French market imports lychees from South Africa and Madagascar for their competitive prices. Therefore, if there is no support in the beginning stage, it will be difficult for Viet Nam's fresh lychees to access French markets, especially if fees, including freights, are high.
According to the latest information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, two northern provinces of Bac Giang and Hai Duong, where lychee cultivation is centred in Viet Nam, are estimated to have more than 200,000 tonnes of fresh lychees this year, 10,000 tonnes higher than that of last year. — VNS