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China Successfully Exported Litchi to America
News from overseas says that China's first batch of 18-ton fresh litchi has been successfully exported to America. It marks a great success achieved by Guangdong province in exporting such fruit to other countries.
The litchi exported to the US was from Maoming area, Guangdong province. Maoming is a well-known area rich in litchi production, its yield of litchi accounting for two thirds of the total in the province. However, the recent development of litchi growing failed to help enrich local farmers very quickly. The main reason is due to the poor market development; the overseas market has not been opened up and the conditions for litchi export failed to meet the requirements of import countries. China is a large fruit producing country, but fruit export is at an "extra" low level. On the contrary, large quantity of foreign fruit has filled up the Chinese market. According to technical personnel from Guangdong entry and exit quarantine and inspection department, Guangdong, though reputed as "South China Fruit Garden", the amount of fruit export from the province takes up only 15 % of the imports, 1% of the total produced in the province. This shows that China still has a large gap to fill up as compared to international requirements in the technology for fruit fresh-keeping and control of insecticide residue.
The litchi output in Guangdong makes up about half of the world produces. Last year saw 800,000 tons of litchi yielding in the province. However, it is not easy to be kept for transportation and fresh-retaining is a tough problem too.
As a matter of fact, America and Japan are the two large litchi consuming countries. Domestic litchi traders have yearned for the two markets for a long time. To this end, a research group was set up in 1986 to tackle the fresh-retaining problem, and after eight years of endeavor, the group has worked out the technology that can help meet the criteria of international plant and animal quarantine office. After several rounds of technological talks, Japanese ministry of agriculture and forestry finally announced to lift the ban on Chinese litchi export to Japan. In 1995, Fujian province, by using this technology, succeeded in exporting one ton of fresh litchi to Japan, and the same year also saw the US quarantine department declare the removal of the ban on China's litchi export to the country.In July 1997, the first batch of litchi to the US was loaded in Guangdong Huadu city.
A container of 18-ton fresh litchi was shipped to the US on May 29 this year from the port of Maoming and after passing through the quarantine inspection by the American plant and animal health quarantine bureau for one week, and June 23 witnessed this batch of litchi on sale in the American market.
Although the export is not in large amount, it marks a step forward for China to export such fruit.
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