LITCHIS are expected to cost more this year with predictions of a significantly reduced harvest in Shenzhen.

The smaller harvest has been attributed to the unusually long, severe cold weather in January and February.

The harvest is estimated at 250,000 to 300,000 kilograms, down by as much as 50 percent compared with last year, yesterday’s Shenzhen Economic Daily quoted Zhong Yiping, head of Nanshan Orchard, as saying. Nanshan Orchard is the city’s largest litchi orchard, accounting for 35 percent of the total supply of the fruit in Shenzhen each year.

The low temperatures lingering around the Chinese Lunar New Year was mainly responsible for this year’s low productivity. Shenzhen had the coldest winter for a decade this year with most days recording temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius.

The cold weather affected the growth of litchi trees, which were cultivated in subtropical weather conditions, said Zhong. There were fewer litchi blossoms this year.

He said the lack of sunshine in recent days and mild temperatures were also not conducive to the pollination of litchi blossoms. “The temperature has lingered around 18 degree Celsius recently, which is a little too low for litchi blossoms.”

Analysts were quoted by the Daily as saying that the prices of litchis would definitely rise because of the poor harvest. But the report did not give any indication of how much the price was expected to rise. In addition, the price of fertilizers and other agricultural materials had gone up by more than 30 percent. Labor costs, which rose 20 to 30 percent this year, would also push up litchi prices, the Daily report said.

(Wei Jie)