The lychee harvest has dropped by 70% in Mauritius

If, on the side of the Food And Agricultural Research Extension Unit (FAREI), it is estimated that production would be around 900 tons against 5,000 tons in previous years, Kreepalloo Sunghoon, secretary of the Small Planters' Association, has an estimate of 200 tons , taking into account the ravages caused by bats. He also fears that lychees could cost up to Rs 10 per unit on the market.

Is climate change the main cause of the drastic drop in the production of? The secretary of the Small Planters' Association does not exclude this possibility but would like FAREI to carry out an in-depth study to find out the real causes of this drop in production. “If it is confirmed that it is climate change, then it will be necessary to introduce new varieties capable of adapting to the new situation. There are several varieties of lychees, especially in China, which can adapt to different regions,” he explains.

He fears that, discouraged, some planters will definitively abandon the cultivation of litchis. He cites some places where bat netting has not even been installed, as the return on investment will be very low. For his part, Poken, one of the major producers of lychees in Mauritius, complains that there are almost no lychees in his orchard at Arsenal. It is also for a scientific study to know the real causes of this phenomenon.

"It's the first time I've experienced such a situation," he said. He estimates his loss of earnings at around Rs 200,000. He also talks about investments in the orchard, in particular the cost of pruning fruit trees, fertilizers and other costs which are around Rs 40,000. He hopes that the government grants litchi producers financial support so that they can relaunch their production. Poken also explains that the proliferation of bats is seriously affecting the production of litchis in Mauritius.