The online sales session, held directly at a lychee-growing area in Bac Ninh Province, attracted more than 832,000 views and generated 4,827 orders for fresh lychees.

This marked the second consecutive year that Pham Van Thinh, vice chairman of the Bac Ninh People’s Committee, personally joined a livestream campaign to promote local lychees.

Chu Thanh Huyen, wife of Vietnamese footballer Nguyen Quang Hai, led the livestream from Meo Village in Nam Duong Commune on May 20.

The program ran in two sessions from noon to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. until after 5 p.m.

Comment sections filled rapidly as viewers rushed to place orders amid concerns that supplies would sell out early.

During the first livestream session, Chu Thanh Huyen said supplies of the early-season u hong lychee variety were limited this year, with only slightly more than two tons allocated for online sales.

Besides fresh lychees, the livestream also sold 537 bottles of honey and nearly 300 kilograms of Chu noodles.

Customers from multiple cities praised the quality of this year’s Bac Ninh lychees.

Due to the fruit’s highly perishable nature, deliveries were limited to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Da Nang.

A representative from Viettel Post said the shipping restrictions were necessary to ensure the fruit remained fresh upon arrival.

Instead of traditional retail packaging, all products were sold in three-kilogram and five-kilogram combo boxes to optimize transportation and storage during delivery.

At Pho Kim in Phuong Son Ward, traders said the market for early-season lychees has remained active, with prices varying sharply depending on quality.

Premium-grade lychees meeting export standards for the Chinese market were purchased at between VND30,000 and VND35,000 ($1.18-$1.37) per kilogram, while lower-quality fruit sold for around VND20,000-VND30,000 ($0.79-$1.18).

Although average market prices have not surged dramatically, high-end lychee varieties have recorded sharp increases.

According to Pham Van Thinh, the 2026 lychee season has shown positive signs, particularly in product quality.

He said Bac Ninh tightened cultivation management and export area code supervision immediately after last season to better serve demanding markets such as the United States, Japan and Europe.

The province has also strengthened controls over agricultural materials and packaging processes to meet international standards.

Authorities have additionally promoted the use of biological farming methods, gradually replacing pesticides with IMO microbial products.

Initial results indicate the approach not only improves pest control but also enhances the flavor of the fruit.

One standout variety is the hong dao lychee, known for its large size and attractive appearance.

At certain points, prices for the variety exceeded VND200,000 ($7.87) per kilogram at orchards - an unusually high level for lychees.

Pham Van Thinh said e-commerce is becoming an inevitable direction for agricultural sales, though localities should avoid fragmented online selling strategies.

“Each locality only needs a small group dedicated to this work, such as cooperatives or young people with digital skills,” he said.

According to Thinh, these groups can act as “digital agents,” collecting online orders and purchasing products directly from farmers to help stabilize agricultural output.

However, he noted that logistics remains the sector’s biggest challenge.

“From packaging and transportation to storage before, during and after delivery, there is still a lot that needs improvement,” he said. “If we can solve the transportation problem, e-commerce will unlock enormous growth potential for agricultural products.”

Bac Ninh has also begun testing smaller 0.5-kilogram packaging models to better suit modern consumer demand.

The province is expanding cooperation with TikTok to broaden online sales channels, shorten delivery times and modernize agricultural distribution systems.

Authorities said Bac Ninh ultimately aims to bring Vietnamese lychees to a larger global market by focusing on transparent product quality and stronger logistics infrastructure.

Bao Khanh