According to Gavin Hardy from the South Africa Lychee Growers Association (SALGA), South African lychee production will record a 30% decrease this year.
According to Mr Hardy, this decrease caused by weather conditions and insufficient cold chains in the sector will not affect the quality of the fruit, which is even better than last year. The decrease in harvest will not affect exports, however the local market risks a deficit. He confirmed that prices should not be different to last year.
South Africa, Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius are the four main lychee producers on the African continent. South Africa has an average harvest of about 9000 tons/year.