Guangzhou's Zengcheng and Conghua districts are both well known as "the hometown of lychee in China." In 2025, Zengcheng's lychee plantations cover nearly 200,000 mu (roughly 13,300 hectares), yielding approximately 50,000 tons of fruit. At the same time, Conghua, famed nationwide for its late-season, high-quality lychee, is cultivating lychees on around 293,800 mu (roughly19,600 hectares), with an anticipated harvest of nearly 70,000 tons. These fruits are expected to hit the market from mid to late June and remain available until mid-August, benefiting from a staggered harvest compared to other earlier-season regions.

To develop and expand the lychee sector, the Zengcheng Agricultural Technology Extension Center has leveraged technology to upgrade this Lingnan specialty fruit, introducing five new varieties this year, including Zengjianghong, Lanxiangyu, Guoxiang, Xianlv, and Jinxiang. Meanwhile, Conghua has established a "research institutions + leading enterprises + cooperatives" model to promote superior varieties and has successfully developed the world's first longan‑lychee hybrid cultivar, branded "Cuimi."

Chen Haiqian, a third‑generation inheritor of Zengcheng's Xianjinfeng lychee cultivating technique, notes that the Xianjinfeng lychee is a "national geographical indication protection product", and thus well received by the market. "Despite its late-June harvest, most of this year's produce is already pre-sold, with overseas orders having increased by over 30% year‑on‑year.”

Notably, traditional techniques could only preserve lychees for up to 40 days, a limitation that has long constrained the industry's development. To address this, Conghua partnered with the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and South China Agricultural University to pioneer an ultra‑low‑temperature freezing technology, effectively locking in freshness and promising global distribution. According to the relevant directors of the Conghua District Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, this innovation is projected to enable Conghua to export over 8,000 tons and store more than 5,000 tons of lychees in 2025, ensuring lychee availability worldwide year‑round. Currently, 20,000 tons of processed export orders are pending for export, with 400 tons of fresh fruit already shipped.

Source: Lingnan On the Cloud

广州：长安的荔枝，世界的荔枝

广州增城区和从化区均是著名的“中国荔枝之乡”。据介绍，2025年，增城荔枝种植总面积约20万亩，总产量约5万吨。而从化作为全国晚熟的优质荔枝产区，今年荔枝种植面积约29.38万亩，预计总产量近7万吨，预估6月中下旬陆续上市，整体销售期将持续到8月中旬，与国内其他早熟产区相比错峰上市。

为发展壮大荔枝产业，今年，增城区农业技术推广中心以科技赋能推动岭南佳果升级，新增了增江红荔、兰香玉、国香荔、仙绿、金香5款荔枝新品种。从化搭建“科研机构+龙头企业+合作社”的良种推广机制，成功研发全球首个龙眼荔枝杂交新品种“脆蜜”。

陈海谦是增城仙进奉荔枝第三代传人，他表示，仙进奉荔枝是获得国家地理标志保护产品，因此深受市场欢迎，“虽然本月下旬才上市，但大部分已被预订，其中今年海外订单同比增长超三成。”

值得一提的是，传统荔枝保鲜技术最多仅能维持40天的限制，长期制约着产业发展。为此，从化携手广东省农科院、华南农业大学，率先攻克了荔枝超低温冷冻锁鲜技术，让广州荔枝畅通世界。从化区农业农村局相关负责人表示，2025年从化将通过该技术实现出口荔枝8000吨以上，储备荔枝5000吨以上，让全球全年都可以吃上新鲜的岭南荔枝。目前，加工出口已经落实2万吨加工订单，相关企业已完成400吨鲜果出口。

文、图｜记者 马灿（除署名外）
翻译丨柯妃娟
审校丨洪婷