Growers and merchants gathered in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province on Friday for a festival featuring lychee, the ruby-red tropical fruit in season, in an effort to expand both domestic and international markets.
The "June-6 Lychee Festival" -- a play on the Chinese word for "give" and the fruit's name -- highlighted efforts to promote the province's special product through tastings, brand collaborations, and new product launches.
With a cultivation history stretching back 2,000 years, Guangdong grows more than 60 varieties of the sweet, floral-scented fruit. Farmers from across the province brought their harvests to the event, hoping to attract buyers and promote brands.
"I believe that leveraging the power of brand marketing today, the sales of our Nanshan lychee will be further boosted, allowing more friends to learn about our Nanshan lychees from the Internet and other promotion channels," said Zeng Yani, an agronomist at Xili Orchard from Shenzhen's Nanshan District. The festival also saw agreements signed between Guangdong's agricultural authorities, media groups and e-commerce platforms to expand sales channel.
From growers, merchants, logistics providers to brand agents and internet influencers, people along the lychee industrial chain are joining forces to explore more opportunities for the local specialty.
Major lychee-producing cities, including Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, and Huizhou, secured deals with domestic and international distributors.
Beyond fresh fruit sales, businesses also brought deep-processed drinks made from the iconic southern China fruit, including lychee-flavored soft drinks, and vinegar beverages aimed at younger consumers.
"The lychee planting area in Huidong is about 8,000 hectares, of which 4,000 hectares are 'Huai Zhi' lychees. Its sweetness and sourness are very suitable for making our lychee vinegar drink. We plan to purchase about 7,000 tons of lychees from fruit growers, which will also increase their income," said Cai Licai, deputy sales manager of Guangdong Lychee Industry Investment Co., Ltd.
Festival held in Guangdong to boost lychee sales
