A cooperation agreement to jointly promote meteorological and financial science and technology was recently signed by the Guangdong Provincial Meteorological Bureau and other departments to support the high-quality development of the province's lychee industry from 2025 to 2027.
According to the agreement, over the next three years, Maoming's Gaozhou Lychee Financial and Meteorological Base will be developed into a national-level base by advancing the construction of the Gaozhou Lychee Meteorological Website, carrying out joint scientific and technological breakthroughs in lychee production, and integrating lychee-related meteorological data.
In the meantime, efforts will be made to promote research on climate-influenced lychee production. Insurance products for production cycles, meteorological disasters, and growth-stage meteorological indices will be launched.
Technicians from the Maoming Meteorological Bureau and an innovation team conduct field surveys on the growth of lychee flowers during the development stage. (Photo: Wu Weitang of Maoming Meteorological Bureau)
A lychee financial and meteorological index system will be jointly constructed, and the research results will be incorporated into China's Financial and Meteorological Index and Service Platform.
Weather derivatives such as futures and options will be arranged to achieve the financial securitization of the lychee industry. The transformation of lychee meteorological index insurance from commercial insurance to policy-based agricultural insurance will be promoted, effectively mitigating production and operational risks and uncertainties caused by weather changes.
In recent years, the national-level Lychee Meteorological Service Center has innovatively developed lychee financial and meteorological indices. Through lychee meteorological index insurance, it combines lychee yield, price, and weather data, transforming abstract weather risks into tradable financial products.
Meteorological service staff from Maoming's meteorological department conducts an on-site inspection to assess the growth status of lychees. (Photo: Shi Zhongjian of Maoming Meteorological Bureau)
With the demands of the lychee industry as the driving force, the Maoming meteorological department has innovatively constructed a smart meteorological system covering the entire chain of "monitoring-service-science and technology-support", providing precise assistance to lychee production bases.
A total of 298 meteorological monitoring stations are scattered across the region. Professional orchard stations and field observation points collect data in real time, offering precise meteorological support for lychee production.
An intelligent service platform operates in real time, delivering weather forecasts and agricultural advice directly to fruit farmers through multiple channels such as WeChat and text messages.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
