THANKS to breakthroughs in litchi preservation technology in Guangdong, 300 tons of litchis preserved last year will enter the market this summer.

Liang Qinru, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, said the special freezing technique involves immediate pre-cooling, protective coloration and freezing, preserving the freshness of just-picked litchis.

“The core point is to quickly freeze and hibernate the flesh cells of litchis below minus 35 degrees Celsius, without damaging the original structure of the flesh, just like animals’ hibernation,” he said.

After thawing, frozen litchis’ shells have the same bright red color as fresh ones and the flesh remains crystal clear, Liang said, adding that the color and aroma can be maintained at about 80-90% of the original level.

Liang said his department had given strong support to scientists tackling the problem of litchi preservation in the past year, and the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences had now mastered the ultra-low temperature litchi preservation technology.

“This year we will strive to expand production capacity and use new technologies to preserve more than 2,000 tons of litchis, allowing consumers to enjoy litchis all year round,” Liang said.

“Meanwhile, the new litchi preservation technology will help solve the problem of litchi farmers’ income being affected by low prices during good harvest years.”

Hu Shengchun, director of the department’s agriculture and rural affairs division, said the researchers’ technological breakthroughs allowed litchis to be preserved for a long time at low cost.

The frozen litchis preserved last year have been selling well on major e-commerce platforms, including Freshippo and JD. Hu said that in the next few months the department will step up the promotion and application of the preservation technology to help promote the high-quality development of the litchi industry.

Guangdong’s delicious litchis are loved by many people, but the preservation of the fruit has long troubled farmers and vendors. When refrigerated, the fruit can be stored for a maximum of seven to 10 days, Hu said.

Guangdong is the largest litchi base in China, producing 1.3 million tons of litchis a year — more than half of the country’s output. (China Daily)