In China, lychee cultivation is mainly found in Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Fujian, and Sichuan, with Guangdong and Guangxi being the largest in terms of dedicated acreages. This year, with May still to come, all the production areas have already reported the promising prospect of a bumper harvest.
Guangdong does not only boasts high yields, but also a long supply period. It is reported that from March when the feizixiao variety becomes available followed by varieties such as baitangying, guiwei, and nuomici, the production season in Guangdong as a whole can continue through to the end of July.
The production in Guangxi has always been stable. It also had a good harvest last year. According to the manager of a growing company in Pubei County, Guangxi, the total production this year is expected to be 10% to 20% higher than last year. The export price of their main product, feizixiao, reached 9 yuan/half a kilo last year. In China, the highest purchase prices given by fruit traders in Beijing and Shanghai were 7.5 - 7.8 yuan/half a kilo; the estimated purchase prices of this variety this year is 5 yuan - 6 yuan/half a kilo.
Most of the lychees recently became available are those of guihuaxiang, feizixiao, and baitangying varieties produced in Hainan Province. The initial market price was high, as lychees from Hainan were the earliest to reach the market, and the supply was not large. With the approaching of May, products from Guangdong and other areas arrived at the market, and the market price has been dropping.
Source: iFresh Asia
