After the Dragon Boat Festival, Maoming's Guiwei lychees entered the end of their harvesting and selling season.

A Maoming farmer with his Guiwei lychees. [Photo/Maoming Daily]

Some fruit farmers have encouraged people to eat Guiwei lychees as early as possible. If not, they might miss this year's season and can only eat them again next year.

Guiwei lychees have become so popular that they have a demand both locally and overseas. They are considered super-food because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial plant compounds.

"We live in Maoming in Guangdong. I'm surrounded by lychees, which have taken the world by storm. Last year Guangdong exported $23 million in lychees, accounting for about 60 percent of China's total. But lychees are difficult to preserve. They don't continue ripening once picked, so ensuring that they can survive long overseas journeys is not an easy undertaking," said Huangfei, a villager in Maoming.

Maoming uses cold chain transportation to keep its lychees fresh for overseas markets. Maoming has also attracted more foreign consumers in Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries. Thanks to new preservation techniques, Maoming's lychees have an extended shelf life of 25 to 45 days. Additionally, the overseas sales of Maoming's Guiwei lychees are expected to surge in this year.