AEON, a leading Japanese retail group, is currently purchasing lychees in Thanh Ha district, Hai Duong province to supply its supermarket chain across Japan.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hai Duong province Luong Thi Kiem (far right) and Sato Teruaki, a procurement specialist from AEON Japan, (center) inspect the progress of lychee harvesting for export to Japan in Thanh Ha district on June 5. This marks the sixth consecutive year AEON Japan has purchased lychees from Hai Duong"AEON Group imposes even stricter import criteria for lychees than the Japanese government itself. In other words, among all the international buyers of Hai Duong lychees, AEON is the most demanding. Yet we have consistently maintained export volumes each year, proving that this specialty fruit has secured a strong foothold in the Japanese market," Kiem notesIn 2019, the provincial Plant Protection Department had to test nearly 50 active ingredients to formulate a specialized plant protection treatment for lychee trees to meet Japan’s stringent requirements. That formula has since been applied in lychee cultivation areas certified with VietGAP and GlobalGAP standardsEach lychee tree designated for export is tagged with details of pesticide application schedules and quarantine periodsSato Teruaki personally visits orchards in Thanh Ha to inspect the harvesting processThe AEON's procurement specialist meticulously films the lychees for report to senior leadership. After six years of importing Vietnamese lychees, Sato Teruaki affirms that Hai Duong’s lychee meets all safety standards, from appearance to quality, traceability, and consistent quantity. "This year, we will distribute this specialty fruit from Hai Duong across all our supermarkets throughout Japan," he emphasizesSince May 24, AEON Japan has purchased lychees in Hai Duong via several Vietnamese exporters, with daily volumes ranging from 12 to 15 tons. In previous years, AEON’s experts directly supervised shipments in Vietnam. This year, the group has delegated inspection and evaluation responsibilities to the Plant Protection Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and will conduct post-arrival checks in JapanRed Dragon Co., Ltd. (based in Ho Chi Minh city) is a major exporter of Hai Duong lychees to high-end markets, including Japan. Director of the company Mai Xuan Thin regularly oversees procurement activities in lychee-growing regions. "AEON Japan favors Hai Duong lychees but enforces very strict quality control. The benefit is that AEON's demand continues to grow, and by authorizing Vietnamese authorities to handle quality assessments, exporters save on costs, leading to increased export volumes," Thin explainsThis year, Hai Duong cultivates about 8,800 ha of lychees with an estimated yield of 65,000 tons, an increase of 20,000 tons against last year. Most of these orchards follow safe production practices, with 12 zones certified for GlobalGAP and 56 zones certified for VietGAP standards, totaling 721 haSimilar to previous years, around 70% of the total lychee output is expected to be exported, with high-end markets accounting for approximately 15%. At present, nearly 30 domestic enterprises are engaged in distribution of Hai Duong lycheesFarmers in Hai Duong are pleased with the bountiful harvest and the participation of many exporters
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