Exports of South African lychees are expected to fall 30 per cent this season following unfavourable weather conditions and an uneven blossom that have hit the crop.
Western Europe and the UK will remain the most important marketing areas, according to growers, with access to the US also on the horizon.
'We are busy with efforts to get access to the US, which would be a major boost to the industry, but these negotiations take years,' said South African Lychee growers' chairperson Gavin Hardy.
However, grower John Spears said that he doubted whether there would be much growth in the South African lychee industry in coming years.
'Climatically we are limited to only two regions, around Nelspruit and Malalane in the Mpumalanga province, and around Tzaneen further north which is the late regions,' he said.
Growers have identified Madagascar as the country's main competition in European markets, although both Mr Spears and Mr Hardy agreed that South Africa's fruit quality and longer season gives the industry an edge.
See the November/December issue of Eurofruit Magazine for the full story
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