Lychees, as top contenders among summer fruits, have always been popular with consumers. However, compared to last year's bountiful yield, this year's situation seems rather bleak, appearing to be a "lean year" for lychees. As summer approaches, there are some questions about whether consumers will be able to continue enjoying their "lychee freedom" as in the past.

Price observations indicate that current retail prices for lychees have risen by about 10%-20% compared to last year. Specifically, prices for the royal-quality "Feizi Xiao" variety have reached 32.9 yuan per kilogram. This rising trend is varied among different lychee varieties, with increases ranging from 10% to 30%.

This trend has also been confirmed on online fresh food e-commerce platforms. According to purchasers, lychee prices have risen by about 10% compared to last year, with a significant drop in production. Taking the Hainan region as an example, its lychee output has decreased by about 30% from last year, while the specific yield in the Guangdong region will need to be assessed after the picking activities after the 26th, but it is predicted to also have decreased by about 30%.

In the Hainan region, varieties such as Feizi Xiao, Baitangying, Guihuaxiang, and Lychee King are popular. Nevertheless, with the exception of Baitangying and a small amount of Lychee King, almost all other varieties have significantly decreased production. The Guangdong region offers a richer variety, which includes Nuomici, Lychee King, Baitangying, Yuhuabao, etc., among which the Guiwei variety has been particularly hard hit, yielding only 10% to 20% of last year's production.

Professional purchasers point out that the reduced lychee production this year has undoubtedly led to a general increase in procurement costs. In certain regions and varieties, production has declined compared to last year, especially among the late-maturing varieties in the Guangdong region. Meanwhile, in the Hainan region, early-maturing varieties such as Feizi Xiao have not shown much change in price and production compared to the same period last year, with the price at about 19.9 yuan per 500 grams, maintaining a stable level.

Weather conditions have clearly become the main factor in the decrease in lychee production. Relevant data shows that the total national lychee production has decreased by 45.94%. In this phenomenon, the reductions in Guangdong and Guangxi are particularly notable, especially for mid- to late-season varieties such as Heiye, Huai Branch, Guiwei, and Nuomici, with the reduction reaching an astonishing 60%-80%.

Industry insiders analyze that unfavorable weather conditions affecting lychee flowering and fruit setting, such as persistently low temperatures and rainy weather in winter, are important reasons for this year's severe drop in lychee production.

This year, lychee production has markedly decreased, especially for several key varieties such as seedless lychees, Guiwei, and Nuomici, with expected yields dropping to around 10% of last year's. Other varieties like Jingganghong and Xianjin Feng are expected to reach 50% of last year's yield, while the reduction for Baitangying is about 20%. However, it's worth noting that the Feizi Xiao variety's production is relatively stable, on par with last year.

Due to the sharp decline in production, the lychee supply in the market is beginning to tighten, and price increases are inevitable. Especially for those varieties with severe reductions, such as seedless lychees, Guiwei, and Nuomici, the likelihood of price hikes is particularly high. This change has many consumers worried that they may not be able to enjoy their favorite lychees as usual.

Even though litchis in regions like Guangdong and Guangxi have suffered production impact to varying degrees, the presence of multiple litchi production areas in the market has allowed some merchants to mitigate this shortfall through diversified sourcing. For instance, they have also procured litchis from places like Sichuan and Yunnan, not only increasing the supply but also extending the sales period of litchis.

For early-ripening varieties such as Guihua Xiang and Feizixiao, which are less affected by weather, the supply chain has specifically increased the procurement of these two varieties to minimize the purchasing cost for consumers as much as possible. At the same time, measures such as close cooperation with planting bases, switching production areas, and ultra-low temperature freshness preservation have been adopted to extend the market supply period of Feizixiao.

For those varieties that have noticeably reduced production, such as Litchi Wang, seedless, Guiwei, and Nuomizhi, optimizing the supply chain, reducing procurement costs, and improving the turnover efficiency of goods can be achieved through methods such as contracting orchards, securing supply sources in advance, and direct purchasing from the base.

It is expected that, with suppliers laying out strategies in advance, such as pre-booking and securing quantity from orchards, first-hand supply can be guaranteed, ensuring that consumers can enjoy fresh litchis. In this way, the consumer's expectation for "freedom of fresh litchi fruit" can be realized to a certain extent.