THE litchi output in Shenzhen may decrease by 70 to 80 percent this year due to cold weather that hit the city earlier this year, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported yesterday.

    Xili Fruit Farm’s head, surnamed Li, said litchi matured a month late this year because of an early rainy season. He said the city was hit by a cold wave in January, making it difficult for litchi trees to produce fruit.

    Li’s farm is the largest litchi farm in Shenzhen with around 25,000 litchi trees.

    “Only 20 to 30 percent of litchi trees have produced fruit, the lowest level over the past two decades,” Li said, adding that some farmers stopped taking care of their litchi trees due to the low output.

    There are over 4,000 litchi trees in the Moon Bay Park in Nanshan District. “It’s the worst year in the past decade for the litchi harvest,” said Huang Bin, who has grown litchi in the park for 10 years.

    Another farmer said the low output may raise the litchi price this year.

    Huang said the cold weather in January and continuous rainy days in March and April were the main causes of the low output of litchi this year. But he believes there will be a great harvest next year, which will hopefully make up for his losses this year.

    Some fruit farm contractors estimate that litchi prices will climb by 3 to 4 yuan (US$0.46-0.61) this year compared with previous years, according to the report.

    (Zhang Yang)