Following a bumper lychee harvest in 2024, 2025 is widely regarded as a "low-yield year." Feedback from major producing regions such as Hainan and Guangdong indicates that overall lychee flowering this year has been poor, with a significant drop in production expected. The market generally anticipates that prices will remain high.
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Liu Han is the brand director of TastiMax. Since last year, the company has been exploring export channels for high-quality, pesticide-free lychees, targeting the mid- to high-end international market. Currently, its products are exported to Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Liu Han described the current season's production situation: "Lychee trees enter their flowering period in March, and the number of flowers directly determines the year's yield. At present, most orchards are able to make a preliminary assessment of annual production. Compared with the dense flower spikes seen in previous years, lychee trees across various production areas are flowering sparsely this year, with many trees showing only a few scattered spikes. In particular, high-quality varieties such as Guiwei and Nuomici have much lower flowering rates, with some orchards even experiencing 'little to no flowering,' and overall conditions are well below those of a normal year. In comparison, varieties such as Feizixiao, Heiye, and Baitangying are performing slightly better, but flower development is still not ideal, and final yields remain highly uncertain."
"This year, there may be almost no Guiwei lychees on the market, and varieties such as Guiwei and Nuomici could even face complete crop failure," Liu Han said. These varieties are an important part of the Guangdong lychee production base, and their reduced output will have a significant impact on overall supply.
Hainan is the earliest lychee-producing region in China to supply the market and is also known for relatively high prices. The main varieties grown in Hainan include Guihuaxiang and Feizixiao. Among them, the earliest variety to reach the market, Guihuaxiang, has already seen prices rise to ¥120–160 per kilogram. "Due to the overall reduction in production, Feizixiao is expected to enter the market in early May this year, and its price is likely to be higher than during the same period last year," Liu Han added.
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"Our lychees are shipped exclusively by air," Liu Han said. "Our products have achieved zero pesticide residue for 11 consecutive years. To ensure optimal quality and flavor, we harvest each lychee individually rather than in clusters, allowing every fruit to reach the ideal level of ripeness. To preserve the taste and quality of these carefully cultivated lychees, air freight is the only viable option."
Although China is the world's largest producer of lychees and has many years of export experience, exports have historically been driven mainly by price competitiveness. Liu Han noted that since 2025, the company has been actively developing export channels for premium lychees and expanding into mid- to high-end international markets. Currently, its products are exported to Dubai and Saudi Arabia, where they have received positive feedback and strong repeat purchase rates. "This year, we aim to expand TastiMax lychee exports to more countries, particularly markets with high standards for fruit quality and taste, such as Europe."
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