Fresh lychees produced in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, will be delivered from farms to supermarkets in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, within 24 hours, following a push to promote the sales of the fruit.
In cooperation with local superstores, the agricultural and rural affairs authorities of Guangdong have launched a promotion to assist local farmers in expanding lychee sales channels as the fruit enters harvest season.
In a Yonghui Superstore in Guangzhou's Huadu district, fresh lychees from Zhanjiang became a hot commodity during the recent Duanwu Festival, which ended on Monday.
"The innovative model, which includes direct sourcing from farms, fast cold chain transportation, and precise marketing, allows consumers to taste the freshest lychees and helps raise income for lychee farmers," said Chen Rong, a second-level inspector from Guangdong's agriculture and rural affairs department.
By directly sourcing from local cooperatives and farmers in Zhanjiang, a hub for lychee production, the superstore aims to establish an efficient distribution chain that can deliver produce from the fields to stores within 24 hours.
The superstore is expected to purchase over 5,000 tons of lychees this year, selling the fresh fruit in more than 640 stores nationwide, according to the company.
"We will continue to leverage the advantages of the full supply chain to establish a direct procurement channel through production cooperatives, cold chain logistics, and terminal retail to ensure the efficient circulation of seasonal fruits from the original place to the stores," said Chen Rentong, general manager of Yonghui Superstores in Guangdong.
In recent years, Guangdong has built over 1,700 new cold storage and preservation facilities, helping greatly promote lychee sales, according to local authorities.
