The blossom rate of longan trees in China reached 95% in 2018. High blossom rates mean high yields. The harvest was abundant. The price of longans dropped below 2 yuan [0.30 USD] per 0.5 kg and hovered around 1.2-1.5 yuan [0.18-0.22 USD] per 0.5 kg for a long time. However, since fresh longan can be used in the production of dried longan, demand from this industry kept the price from falling below 1 yuan [0.14 USD] per 0.5 kg.
The temperature in the winter of 2018 was relatively high, which hinders the production of flowers. The blossom rate in Guangdong, Hainan, and Guangxi is expected to drop below 60%. The situation is particularly obvious in southern Guangdong. However, the trees only have flower buds, and they have not yet started to blossom, so it is still difficult to tell what will happen to the overall production volume.
The surface area devoted to longan plantation has been stable in recent years. Based on the disappointing blossom rate, the longan production volume in Guangdong, Hainan, and Guangxi is expected to fall by 40%-50% this year. However, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Fujian also grow longans. The overall production volume of longans in China is expected to fall by 35%-45%, which means that this will be a modest season.
Source: ncpqh.com