VIETRADE - “The sulphur dioxide fumigation on lychee will not only meet EU food hygiene requirements but also keep the fruit fresh in 5 weeks which was successfully applied in Madagascar" quoted, agriculture specialist Michel Jahiel Pierre. If successfully applied in Vietnam, Vietnamese lychees will be transported by sea instead of air which leads to a cut in selling price.

In the morning of June 2nd, 2015,  at Bac Giang Industry and Trade Department, the Program Management Unit of the “Decentralized Trade Support Services for Strengthening the International Competitiveness of Vietnamese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)” Program, Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, MOIT together with Vietnamese Trade Consulate in France, Bac Giang Trade Promotion Center and the French company - Thanh Binh Jeune organized a training workshop on sulphur dioxide fumigation for lychees which provides enterprises with proper knowledge in exporting lychees to the EU market.

Participants in the workshop are Mr. Do Kim Lang - Deputy General Director of Vietrade MOIT, National Program Director of the SME support program; representative authorities from Bac Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bac Giang Department of Science and Technologies, Bac Giang Department of Industry and Trade, Luc Ngan People 's Committee and Agriculture Division, Bac Giang Trade Promotion Center; together with enterprises inside and outside of the province, especially fruit exporting companies from HCM city and in the South. 

Caption: Mr. Do Kim Lang - Deputy General Director of VIETRADE, National Program Director of SME Support Program gave opening speech at the training workshop

The opening speech by Mr. Do Kim Lang insisted on the initial success of the training workshop, which was the efforts of all the related bodies, the coordination role of the Program Management Unit, the Vietnamese Consulate in France, the Bac Giang Trade Promotion Center and Thanh Binh Juene Company.

Mr. Do Kim Lang stressed that the sulphur dioxide fumigation is the only acknowledged method applicable on fruits exported to French market in particular and EU market in general. He hoped that after the training workshop, Vietnamese enterprises will master the technology which will lead to more opportunities for not only for Vietnamese lychees to penetrate into French market but also many other Vietnamese specialty fruits to expand their exporting markets.

Caption: Mr. Nguyen Khanh, Director of Bac Giang Industry and Trade Department gave welcoming speech at the training workshop.

In his welcoming speech, Mr. Nguyen Khanh, Director of Bac Giang Trade Promotion Center shared that in 2015, with the total production area of 32,000 ha, the estimated yields for fresh lychees is 160,000 tones, of which, early crop production is 25,000 tones, main crop production is 135,000 tones. This year, Bac Giang expands additional 12,000 ha of lychee cultivated area under VietGap standards which would yield approximately 80,000 tones. The province has also started cultivating 100 ha of lychees under GlobalGap at Luc Ngan district with the total yields of 1,000 tones for exporting.

Caption: Mr. Ngo Minh Duong, General Director of Thanh Binh Jeune Company shared experience at the training workshop.

Mr. Ngo Minh Duong, Director of Thanh Binh Jeune shared at the workshop that  his long-awaited dream of exporting Vietnamese lychees to France has now come true. He hoped that the technology will be successfully applied and thanks to this more trade opportunities will be brought about to the exporting enterprises and local people.

Caption: Doctor Michel Jahiel Pierre instructed, shared information and experience with trainees

Doctor Michel Jahiel Pierre, the training specialist spent significant amount of time to instruct, share information and experience with the trainees who are the enterprises and the local technical officials. According to Mr. Michel, SO2 fumigated lychees can be fresh in 5-6 weeks. If successfully applied, lychees can be exported by sea instead of air, which leads to a big cut in the selling price.

In the afternoon, the trainees had hands-on experience at the processing place prepared by the organizer. The training specialist gave instructions on lychee detaching, classifying, arranging on trays, scaling, preparing SO2, fumigating time and waiting time before refrigeration, etc.

The success of the training workshop on SO2 fumigation on lychees at Bac Giang contributed largely to Vietnamese Trade Consulate in France represented by Mr. Nguyen Canh Cuong, who effortlessly connecting Thanh Binh Jeune and international training specialist for the workshop. Right after the workshop, 500 kg of SO2 fumigated lychees by trainees will be the very first batch exported to France by Thanh Binh Jeune company in the next few days.

After Bac Giang, from 4-5 June, Hai Duong will be the next province to be provided with the training workshop by the Program Management Unit of the SME Support Program. Vietrade will edit the training materials and transfer to the local agencies to be used in the workshops taken over by the local agriculture officials.

Source: www.vietrade.gov.vn