Anticipating lychee production

Recently, the Technical Horticultural Center of Toamasina (CTHT) reported a forecasted decrease in lychee production this year, particularly in the entire collection zone located in the east of the island.

As in 2016, lychee production is expected to be significantly earlier this year. The CTHT conducted a survey in Brickaville, Toamasina, and Fénérive-Est at the beginning of the month to make this observation. Since early October, heavy rainfall has met the water requirements of the plants, ensuring good fruit development and lowering ambient temperatures.

However, the CTHT emphasized that this research confirms a decline in production across the collection zone, with a more significant reduction in the northern areas. Given the potential total production in the collection zone for export, this decline could lead to an extension of the harvest to meet the demands of exporters, which are expected to be around 18,000 tons. As of October 14, the survey was conducted on 1,667 trees (690 in Brickaville, 649 in Toamasina, and 328 in Fénérive-Est), revealing that all the fruits examined on the trees remain entirely green.

The distribution of harvested fruit sizes shows that the population has diameters ranging from 12 to 25 mm, compared to 8 to 18 mm last year. On average, the fruit diameter is now 19 mm, up from 13 mm last year. A significant quantity of ripe fruit could be ready between November 11 and 14. Further research will be conducted at the end of October to confirm this projection before making the final decision on the next harvest.