People's Livelihood Survey Bureau

Original title: Litchi prices rise! Is it the weather that causes the output or "cutting the waist"?

Editor's Note:

This is the People's Livelihood Survey Bureau, which investigates changes in people's livelihood. Focus on what you want to focus on and what you don't, and investigate what you want to see and what you don't see.

Chinanews. com, May 24 (China News Finance reporter Xie Yiguan) "Eating 300 lychees a day and never hesitating to grow into Lingnan people", the sour and sweet litchi has always been a favorite of many people.

Xiaoyu (alias), who works in Beijing, is a litchi lover. But recently, she found that this year's lychees were a little more expensive than last year's, "On an online platform, Princess Xiao, who was about 10 yuan a kilogram last year, sold 13.6 yuan a kilogram this year."

The reporter from China Singapore Finance and Economics also found that "expensive" may become the key word of litchi this year.

This year's lychees are expensive

How expensive is litchi this year?

In a supermarket in Xicheng District, Beijing, the price of Feizixiao litchi was 19.9 yuan per kilogram, higher than that in the same period of previous years; In a large supermarket in Fengtai District, litchi is in the process of promotion. The price of 11.98 yuan per kilogram is the lowest price recently. When the reporter visited, it was sold out.

The picture shows litchi sold in a supermarket in Beijing. Photographed by Xie Yiguan of China News Network

On some fresh food platforms, the common Feizixiao litchi is between 14 yuan and 20 yuan per kilogram. The price of white sugar poppy litchi is higher, more than 20 yuan per kilogram.

Even in Guangdong, one of the main production areas of litchi, the price of litchi is higher than in previous years.

Li Jun (not his real name) is a famous person in Maoming, Guangdong. He has his own lychee garden at home. At this time, it is the season of lychee picking. He confirmed to the reporter that the price of lychees this year is indeed higher than that in previous years.

On the product link sent by him, the price of fresh white sugar poppy litchi is 78 yuan, which was 5 jin last year.

However, due to regional and platform subsidies and other factors, the retail price of lychee is also quite different. In Guangdong, Guangxi and other places, some consumers bought lychees of less than 10 yuan per kilogram, but most of the varieties were Feizixiao and sugar poppies.

The national litchi output is expected to be "half off"

As for the price of litchi on the market, Liu Tong, a market analyst at Beijing Xinfadi, told the reporter of Zhongxin Finance and Economics that the price of the popular variety Feizixiao is not high.

He mentioned that due to weather factors, the flowering of litchi in some production areas, especially in the middle and late maturing brands, is affected, and the price after listing is expected to be higher than that in the same period of previous years.

Chen Houbin, the chief scientist of the national litchi and longan industrial technology system and professor of South China Agricultural University, introduced the influence of weather factors on litchi yield to the reporter of China Singapore Finance and Economics in detail.

Guangdong and Guangxi are the most important litchi producing areas in China. Chen Houbin said that for these two production areas, the low temperature came late last winter, the first wave of cold air came in mid December, and the second wave of cold air came at the end of January. The valid period of flower induction of mid late varieties should be before the middle of January, which also means that low temperature is not enough for mid late varieties.

However, the situation varies in different regions. Chen Houbin analyzed, for example, the main variety in Hainan is Feizixiao, which benefits from its technical model and has better flower formation. The low temperature in Yunnan, Sichuan, Fujian and other places is enough. The flowering of litchi is generally good, and the yield is relatively normal.

Data picture: Mature litchi hanging on the branches. Photographed by Luo Yunfei, a reporter from China News Network

Previously, the national lychee and longan industry technology research and development center predicted that the total output of litchi in China this year would be 1.78 million tons, 45.94% less than that of last year, based on the forecast of flower formation. Among them, Guangdong and Guangxi reduced litchi production significantly. The yield of medium and late maturing varieties such as Heiye, Huaizhi, Guiwei, Nuomici and Jizui Litchi decreased by 60% - 80%.

During the reporter's investigation, Li Jun and other fruit growers also mentioned that due to the bad weather, the output of litchi at home was greatly reduced. Some fruit farmers also said that Guiwei and Nuomici were basically "annihilated".

The reduction in production has led to higher prices at the place of origin. Considering the cost of labor, transportation, and storage losses, the final product to reach consumers in other places is the lychees that are priced up layer by layer.

Expert: Managing every year as a "small year"

Behind the change of litchi yield, one factor has also been mentioned frequently, that is, "big and small years".

Chen Houbin mentioned that litchi with a history of more than 1000 years has shown obvious "big and small years" since it was planted, and there is a cycle of "big and small years" every four to five years.

Last year was a big year for litchi production, so many people believed that this would lead to excessive consumption of litchi trees, which to some extent led to a low flowering rate of litchi this year.

In terms of "big and small years", Chen Houbin believed that in recent years, farmers' management skills have improved a lot, and scientific and technological training should also be done well, mainly because of the special weather conditions.

Data picture: staff of Hainan Hongming Agricultural Products (Litchi) Trading Center carry litchi. Photographed by Luo Yunfei, a reporter from China News Network

In view of the fact that the output of litchi has decreased, the reporter noticed that the relevant local departments are also actively taking measures to deal with it.

In April, after the strong thunderstorm warning was issued, the agricultural and rural departments in Dongguan, Guangdong, gave scientific guidance to farmers on how to keep flowers and fruits strong in thunderstorm weather; Guiwei, Xiangli and other late maturing varieties are facing rare yield reduction, and relevant departments in Lingshan County, Guangxi have also increased technical training and technical services.

On May 20, the national "Litchi Meteorological Service Center" was officially launched in Maoming, Guangdong, marking a new stage of litchi meteorological service.

Recently, mature Vietnamese litchi has entered the Chinese market from the port. However, Chen Houbin also mentioned that in previous years, the total import volume was relatively small, so the supply of lychees had to rely on domestic supply.

In Chen Houbin's opinion, based on the particularity of litchi, the production of litchi should be managed as a small year every year. The recognition of litchi production should be improved, more technical links should be used, and the technical management plan should be strictly followed.