HANOI, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has become the second largest exporter of litchi in the world, accounting for 19 percent of the global market share, according to the world's leading independent organization of horticultural scientists International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).
The largest exporter in 2018 was Madagascar, accounting for 35 percent of the global exports despite a small area of plantations. Vietnam was followed by China with 18 percent, Thailand with 10 percent, and South Africa with 9 percent, Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday citing the ISHS's figures.
According to the organization, in terms of output, China ranked first with two million tons per year, tailed by India with 677,000 tons and Vietnam with 380,000 tons.
Despite the smaller output compared to China and India, Vietnam had seen strong growth in litchi exports because of differences in harvest season and in seed quality, local experts said.
