Egg lychee enjoys busting harvest, selling for VND 300,000/kg

That success came with close support from the National Agricultural Extension Center, the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, and the local agricultural extension system in transferring techniques and changing farmers’ mindsets about production. Specifically, it came through the project “Building a model for grafting renovation and intensive cultivation of early-ripening lychee under VietGAP standards in several northern provinces.” This is considered one of the most typical models for applying science and technology, linking production, and enhancing the value of local specialty agricultural products.

Yield doubled

Mr Nguyen The Bien, Director of the Doan Dao Egg Lychee Cooperative in Doan Dao Commune, Hung Yen, said that in the past, farmers mainly relied on experience, which led to unstable yields and inconsistent fruit quality. In the first seasons, yields only reached about 7-8 tons/ha.

After receiving systematic technical guidance from the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute and agricultural extension officers, local farmers completely changed their farming methods. Crop care, flowering treatment, fertilization, and pest management became more scientific, significantly improving efficiency.

According to Mr Bien, the most important contribution of the agricultural extension program was changing farmers’ awareness. Previously, many households farmed based on habits, using fertilizers and pesticides intuitively. Through training sessions, however, farmers were taught to apply the “4 right principles”: right pesticide, right dosage, right timing, and right application method.

Technical officers also directly monitored each stage of lychee tree growth to guide farmers in proper care, especially during the flowering and fruit-setting stages, the most critical phases that determine seasonal yield.

“In the past, many households sprayed pesticides numerous times with low effectiveness. Now, with proper technical guidance, some households only need about three sprays per season while the trees remain healthy, fruit-setting rates are high, and the fruit looks beautiful,” Mr Bien said.

Mr Le Ngoc Trang, a resident of Doan Dao Hamlet and a member of the cooperative, said his family currently cultivates about one garden of egg lychee (over 3,500 m²). “This year, many lychee-growing areas suffered poor harvests, but my family’s orchard still maintained good yields thanks to the intensive cultivation techniques provided by the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute and agricultural extension officers,” Mr Trang shared.

According to him, the biggest change was that farmers learned to care for trees at each growth stage rather than relying on experience as before. Fertilizer and pesticide use also became more systematic, resulting in healthier trees, more uniform fruit, and better appearance.

Thanks to the synchronized application of technological advances, egg lychee yields at the cooperative this year reached around 13-15 tons/ha, nearly double the output from the model's early implementation stage. Not only did production increase, but fruit quality also improved significantly, with better appearance, more uniform fruit, thicker flesh, and a distinct mild sweetness.

“This year, some places only achieved about 20% of last year’s lychee output, but our cooperative still maintained excellent yields. That shows when proper techniques are applied, the trees are more resilient to adverse weather,” Mr Bien said.

Record price of VND 300,000/kg

Not only did the cooperative maintain yields, but egg lychee prices also surged sharply this year. According to Mr Trang, the highest-quality lychees were purchased directly at the orchard for around VND 300,000/kg, while lower-grade fruit still sold for about VND 200,000/kg.

“Compared to last year, prices have more than doubled. Last year the best-quality lychees were only around VND 140,000/kg, but this year prices at times reached VND 300,000/kg”, Mr Trang said excitedly.

The economic returns from this year’s lychee crop also surprised many people. According to Mr. Nguyen The Bien, egg lychee prices remained very high due to limited supply and strong market demand.

Large, high-quality, attractive lychees are currently being sold at orchards for VND 250,000–300,000/kg. The average seasonal price is around VND 200,000/kg. With yields of approximately 15 tons/ha, each hectare of lychee can generate revenue of around VND 3 billion. After deducting costs, growers earn very large profits.

“Right now, the market is almost always in a state where demand exceeds supply. Many traders place orders early, but the cooperative still cannot supply enough volume,” Mr Bien said.

The Doan Dao Egg Lychee Cooperative currently has 36 members with a total cultivation area of over 30 hectares. In recent years, alongside promoting the application of science and technology, the cooperative has gradually built its brand and enhanced product value.

“Without the support of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute and the National Agricultural Extension Center, it would have been very difficult for farmers to achieve today’s results. These units not only provided technical training but also regularly visited orchards to closely guide farmers based on actual production conditions,” Mr. Bien emphasized.

The transfer of technical advances has not only helped increase yields and reduce costs but has also created high-quality specialty lychee-growing areas, improving farmers’ incomes and living standards.

A mark of technical transfer

The project “Building a model for grafting renovation and intensive cultivation of early-ripening lychee under VietGAP standards in several northern provinces” for the 2025–2027 period is showing clear effectiveness in improving the productivity, quality, and economic value of Hung Yen egg lychee.

Among the project activities, intensive cultivation of egg lychee under VietGAP standards in Hung Yen is considered a standout highlight, affirming the role of science and technology in developing high-quality commodity agriculture.

The intensive cultivation model has been implemented on a 10-hectare scale in Hung Yen Province, focusing on synchronously applying advanced technical solutions from nutrition management, crop care, pest management, to harvesting according to VietGAP standards.

Thanks to close guidance from technical staff of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute and the agricultural extension system, lychee trees grew healthily, flowered and set fruit at high rates, while fruit quality remained uniform with attractive appearance.

In particular, the harvest period for egg lychees within the model runs from May 15 to June 15, approximately 20–25 days earlier than regular main-season lychee varieties, creating a major advantage in both market timing and selling prices.

With average yields reaching 13-15 tons/ha, the model achieved very impressive results amid unfavorable weather conditions in 2026 that heavily affected many lychee-growing areas in northern Vietnam.

While many orchards outside the model only reached yields of about 5–6 tons/ha, with some areas even suffering total crop losses due to unfavorable weather, orchards participating in the project still maintained high and stable productivity.

In addition to building production models, the project is also associated with community agricultural extension groups, product promotion activities, consumption linkage, and technical training for farmers.

During the 2025-2026 period, nine training courses were organized for 270 farmer participants, helping improve cultivation skills, expand VietGAP production processes, and promote the development of egg lychee-growing areas toward professionalism, sustainability, and high economic efficiency.

$1 = VND 26,394 - Source: Vietcombank.