In recent years, global climate change and various natural disasters have had a serious impact on agricultural production. This year, China's domestically produced lychee production has been sharply reduced, causing market prices to skyrocket. However, despite the tenfold increase in prices, lychees are not selling, a phenomenon that has aroused widespread concern and discussion in society. At the same time, Vietnam, a major producer and exporter of lychees, is also in trouble due to changes in the Chinese market.
Reasons for the decrease in lychee production
According to the report of Meiman News, the weather conditions in Guangdong and other major lychee producing areas this year are not good, and continuous rainfall and sudden cold wave have led to a significant drop in the flowering rate of lychees. For example, mid-to-late maturing varieties such as Feizixiao, Guiwei and Nuo Rice Glutinous Rice Cake have a flowering rate of less than 10 percent, and some even less than 5 percent. This climatic anomaly directly affected the fruit setting rate of lychees, resulting in a significant reduction in overall yield.
The impact of climate change on agricultural production is multifaceted. First of all, the fluctuation of temperature directly affects the growth cycle of lychee. Lychee requires a relatively stable temperature during the flowering period, and a sudden cold wave will cause the flowers to wither, affecting the fruiting rate. Secondly, continuous rainfall will cause water accumulation in the roots of lychee trees, which will affect nutrient absorption and further reduce yield. In addition, heavy rainfall can also cause pests and diseases, which increases the risk of diseases and affects the quality of fruits.
In addition to climate change, extreme weather such as hail has also hit parts of Guangdong this year, which has further exacerbated the decline in lychee production. Hail not only damaged the flowers and fruits of the lychee, but also caused irreversible damage to the fruit tree itself. The combined effect of these natural disasters has made the reduction of lychee production an inevitable reality.
The devastating effects of natural disasters on agricultural production are enormous. The direct impact of hail can cause flowers and fruits to fall off, severely affecting yields. Hail can also damage the branches of fruit trees, affecting their normal growth and fruiting ability. Due to the limited resilience of lychee trees, this damage tends to have a lasting impact on production in years to come. In addition, hailstorm-induced mechanical damage increases the risk of bacterial infestation, further threatening the health of fruit trees.
Price spikes and market reactions
Due to the sharp decline in production and tight supply in the market, the price of lychee began to skyrocket. According to the owner of a fruit shop in Hangzhou, the price of the concubine laughing lychee on the market is as high as 68 yuan a catty, and the osmanthus fragrant lychee is also sold for 58 yuan a catty. This price is much higher than the level of previous years, the wholesale price of Concubine Zixiao in the same period last year was only 3-4 yuan a catty, and the retail price was generally less than 10 yuan.
Behind the skyrocketing prices is a serious imbalance between supply and demand. As a seasonal fruit, the market supply of lychee is greatly affected by the fluctuation of production. When production is drastically reduced, the quantity of lychees available for sale in the market plummets, and the situation of short supply leads to a rapid increase in prices. At the same time, consumer demand for lychees has not decreased significantly, further driving up prices.
Despite the sharp rise in lychee prices, the market response has not been enthusiastic. Many consumers shy away from the high price of lychees. According to reports, some fruit shops and supermarkets took a wait-and-see attitude towards high-priced lychees, and after selling them for a few rounds, they found that the sales were not good, so they stopped buying them. Consumers have shown significant resistance to the high price of lychees.
The main reason for the lukewarm market response is the price sensitivity of consumers. As an ordinary fruit, lychee has long been regarded as an affordable fruit by consumers, and everyone has a certain psychological expectation of its price. The sudden price spike has made it unacceptable to many consumers. At the same time, the price of other fruits in the market, such as large cherries and durians, has been reduced, and these fruits have replaced some of the demand for lychees. Consumers are more inclined to buy reasonably priced alternatives rather than high-priced lychees.
Consumer psychology and consumption habits
As an ordinary fruit, lychee has long been regarded as an affordable fruit by consumers, and everyone has a certain psychological expectation of its price. The sudden price spike has made it unacceptable to many consumers. At the same time, the price of other fruits in the market, such as large cherries and durians, has been reduced, and these fruits have replaced some of the demand for lychees. Consumers are more inclined to buy reasonably priced alternatives rather than high-priced lychees.
Price sensitivity is an important factor influencing consumers' purchasing decisions. Especially in the context of greater economic pressure, consumers are more inclined to choose cost-effective goods. Although lychee is delicious, it is not a necessity of life, and consumers can easily find alternatives. When the price of lychee exceeds psychological expectations, many consumers choose to give up buying and choose other fruits with more reasonable prices.
With the popularization of the concept of healthy consumption, consumers have become more rational in their food choices. Although lychee is delicious, it is high in sugar, and excessive consumption can easily catch fire, and it may also cause blood sugar to rise. Many health-conscious consumers, especially those with diabetes or gastrointestinal diseases, are more cautious in choosing to consume lychees, which also affects the sales of lychees to a certain extent.
The popularization of the concept of healthy consumption has made consumers pay more attention to the nutritional content and health impact when choosing food. Although lychee is delicious, it is high in sugar and calories, making it not suitable for excessive consumption. When choosing fruits, many consumers will give preference to those varieties with high nutritional value and low health risks, which affects the sales of high-priced lychees to a certain extent.
The impact of the lychee market in Vietnam
Due to the reduction in the production of domestic lychees, Vietnamese lychees began to enter the Chinese market in large quantities. According to Vietnamese media reports, Chinese traders are buying Vietnamese lychees at 20 yuan per kilogram, compared with 11.3-12.7 yuan per kilogram previously. However, after entering the Chinese market, high-priced lychees are facing sales difficulties, and many merchants have a wait-and-see attitude towards imported lychees, and the market sales are not as expected.
Vietnam's imports of lychees have eased the supply crunch in the Chinese market to some extent, but sales are not ideal due to higher prices. Consumers' acceptance of imported lychees is not high, and many merchants have a wait-and-see attitude towards high-priced imported lychees and dare not purchase large quantities, resulting in poor market sales.
In the face of changes in the Chinese market, Vietnamese fruit farmers are particularly anxious. Vietnam's main export market for lychees in Bac Giang province is China, with an annual export volume of about 8-100,000 tons. Due to the low demand in the Chinese market, Vietnamese fruit farmers had to sell at a reduced price to avoid lychees rotting in the fields. According to reports, the wholesale price of lychees in Dor Lak and Kun Song in Vietnam has dropped to 10 yuan per kilogram, which is significantly lower than the previous market price.
Changes in the Chinese market have brought great challenges to Vietnam's lychee industry. Vietnamese fruit farmers are highly dependent on the Chinese market, and when the Chinese market demand decreases, Vietnamese fruit farmers face huge sales pressure. In order to avoid unsalable and wasteful lychees, farmers had to sell them at lower prices, but even so, sales were still not satisfactory. This situation poses a severe test to the sustainable development of Vietnam's lychee industry.
Breakthrough and market impact of cold chain technology
The breakthrough of cold chain preservation technology provides a new idea for solving the problem of reducing production and sales of lychee. Guangdong Province, together with the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other scientific research institutions, has extended the shelf life of lychees from 40 days to 300 days through ultra-low temperature freeze-dormant locking technology. The lychee treated with this technology still retains its bright red color and crystal pulp after thawing, and the nutritional quality can be maintained at more than 90%.
The progress of cold chain technology has provided strong support for the development of the lychee industry. By extending the shelf life of lychees, the year-round supply of lychees can be realized, the market supply and demand can be balanced, and the price can be stabilized. The application of cold chain technology can not only solve the supply problem caused by the reduction of lychee production, but also reduce the phenomenon of fruit cheapness and injury to farmers, and improve the income of fruit farmers.
Despite the scepticism of consumers towards Lychee, the market reaction has gradually been positive. More than 200 tons of lychees from last year were sold well on e-commerce platforms and were recognized by consumers. This year, Guangdong plans to use new technology to preserve 2,000 tons of lychees, which will help alleviate the problem of insufficient supply in the market, stabilize the price of lychees, and reduce the phenomenon of cheap fruit hurting farmers.
Strategies to solve the dilemma of the lychee market
Scientific and technological innovation is an important means to solve the dilemma of the lychee market. By further improving the cold chain preservation technology, the shelf life of lychees can be extended, the market supply and demand can be balanced, and the price can be stabilized. Scientific research institutions should continue to increase R&D investment, promote technological progress, and enhance the competitiveness of the lychee industry.
Specific measures include:
Strengthen investment in scientific research: The government and enterprises should increase investment in scientific research on cold chain preservation technology, support relevant scientific research institutions to carry out technical research, and solve key problems in lychee preservation.
Promote new technologies: Through training, demonstration and promotion activities, more fruit farmers and enterprises can understand and master advanced preservation technologies and improve the market competitiveness of lychees.
Establish a scientific and technological cooperation platform: Promote cooperation between scientific research institutions, enterprises and fruit farmers, establish a technical exchange and cooperation platform, and jointly promote the scientific and technological progress of the lychee industry.
In the year when the production of lychee is reduced, the relationship between supply and demand in the market should be reasonably regulated to avoid sales difficulties caused by soaring prices. The government can help fruit farmers and businesses rationalize production and sales and reduce market volatility by providing market information and coordinating supply and demand.
Specific measures include:
Establish a market information system: The government should establish a sound market information system to timely publish the production, price and sales of lychees, so as to help fruit farmers and businesses make reasonable decisions.
Strengthen market regulation: The government should take timely regulatory measures according to market supply and demand, such as increasing reserves and adjusting import and export volumes, to ensure a balance between market supply and demand.
Promote regional cooperation: Strengthen cooperation among major lychee producing areas to jointly respond to market fluctuations and improve overall resilience through regional cooperation.
Through publicity and promotion, it will enhance consumers' confidence in Lychee Frozen Sleep. The government and enterprises should jointly carry out popular science publicity to introduce the advantages and effects of cold chain preservation technology, so that consumers can understand and accept this new product. At the same time, through strict quality control, the quality and safety of Frozen Sleeping Lychee are ensured, and the trust of consumers is won.
Specific measures include:
Carry out popular science publicity: use the media, the Internet and offline activities to widely publicize the principles and effects of cold chain preservation technology, so that consumers can understand its advantages and safety.
Implement quality control: Establish a strict quality control system to ensure the quality and safety of frozen lychees in all aspects from production, processing to sales.
Promote brand building: By building a high-quality brand, improve the market awareness and reputation of Lychee Frozen Sleep, and enhance consumers' confidence in purchasing.
In addition to relying on the Chinese market, Vietnamese lychee producers should also actively explore other international markets. By improving product quality and brand influence, expanding export channels, reducing dependence on a single market, and reducing market risks. At the same time, the government should support enterprises to participate in international exhibitions and carry out trade negotiations to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese lychees in the international market.
Specific measures include:
Improve product quality: Through the introduction of advanced planting technology and management mode, improve the quality and yield of lychee, and enhance the competitiveness of the international market.
Strengthen brand building: Build an international brand of Vietnamese lychee, and increase brand awareness and influence through marketing and publicity activities.
Expand the international market: actively participate in international exhibitions and trade negotiations, open up new market channels, increase exports, and reduce dependence on a single market.
Consumer psychology and market reactions
With the popularization of the concept of healthy consumption, consumers pay more attention to the nutritional content and health impact when choosing food. Although lychee is delicious, it is high in sugar, and excessive consumption can easily catch fire, and it may also cause blood sugar to rise. Many health-conscious consumers, especially those with diabetes or gastrointestinal diseases, are more cautious in choosing to consume lychees, which also affects the sales of lychees to a certain extent.
As an ordinary fruit, lychee has long been regarded as an affordable fruit by consumers, and everyone has a certain psychological expectation of its price. The sudden price spike has made it unacceptable to many consumers. At the same time, the price of other fruits in the market, such as large cherries and durians, has been reduced, and these fruits have replaced some of the demand for lychees. Consumers are more inclined to buy reasonably priced alternatives rather than high-priced lychees.
Market application and future prospect of cold chain technology
Despite the scepticism of consumers towards Lychee, the market reaction has gradually been positive. More than 200 tons of lychees from last year were sold well on e-commerce platforms and were recognized by consumers. This year, Guangdong plans to use new technology to preserve 2,000 tons of lychees, which will help alleviate the problem of insufficient supply in the market, stabilize the price of lychees, and reduce the phenomenon of cheap fruit hurting farmers.
With the continuous progress and application of cold chain technology, the lychee industry will usher in new development opportunities. By extending the shelf life and improving the preservation effect, the year-round supply of lychees can be realized to meet the market demand. In the future, the application of cold chain technology is not only limited to lychee, but can also be promoted to other fruits and agricultural products to enhance the added value and competitiveness of the entire agricultural industry chain.
Specific measures include:
Continue to promote technology research and development: The government and enterprises should continue to increase investment in research and development of cold chain preservation technology to promote continuous innovation and progress in technology.
Expand the scope of technology application: On the basis of the breakthrough in lychee preservation technology, it will be gradually promoted to other fruits and agricultural products to improve the overall preservation level and market competitiveness.
Strengthen international cooperation: By strengthening cooperation with international scientific research institutions and enterprises, absorb advanced technology and management experience, and enhance the international competitiveness of mainland cold chain preservation technology.
summary
The phenomenon of soaring prices but not being able to sell domestic lychees due to the sharp increase in production reflects the problems of agricultural production, market supply and demand, consumer psychology, and scientific and technological innovation. Through in-depth analysis of these issues, we can find strategies to solve the market dilemma and promote the healthy development of the lychee industry. It is hoped that in the future, with the joint efforts of all parties, the lychee market can achieve a balance between supply and demand, stable prices, so that more consumers can enjoy high-quality lychee products, and at the same time ensure the income of fruit farmers and achieve the sustainable development of the industry.
Against the backdrop of global climate change and market volatility, the lychee industry is facing many challenges. By strengthening scientific and technological innovation, improving the relationship between market supply and demand, enhancing consumer confidence, exploring diversified markets and promoting the application of cold chain technology, we can effectively address these challenges and promote the high-quality development of the lychee industry. Let us work together to contribute to the prosperity and development of the lychee industry.