On May 25, a refrigerated container loaded with 12 tonnes of "Feizixiao" lychees departed from Xinzhou town in Yangjiang, Guangdong province. The shipment marked the first time Yangjiang has exported lychees using its own packaging and cold-chain logistics system—ending its long-term reliance on processors and exporters in other cities.
Cleared by Yangjiang customs, the cargo is bound for Malaysia and expected to arrive within a week. The shipment was handled by Guangdong Zungly Agricultural Group Co., Ltd., which, in April, secured United States FDA certification and registered the city's first licensed fruit export packing plant. The facility, equipped with a 500-tonne cold storage unit and a post-harvest processing line covering sorting, pre-cooling, and packing, is currently the only export-certified lychee packing facility in the Jiangmen customs district.
The selected fruit was then submerged in ice water to bring its core temperature down to 6°C, a crucial step for preserving sweetness during transit. A local villager working at the pre-cooling station, who gave only her surname, Zhen, said the ice water was numbing but the work was rewarding: "Seeing Xinzhou lychees go abroad, knowing farmers have a steady market — that warms you up." She earns 300 yuan a day during the harvest season.
After cooling, the fruit was packed into boxes and inspected by customs officers, who verified documentation, checked for pests and diseases, and confirmed compliance with Malaysian import requirements. Chen Kailin, general manager of Zungly Agricultural, said the independent export channel meant "not just better margins — the tax revenue and jobs now stay in Yangjiang."
Xinzhou town cultivates approximately 2,333 hectares of lychee orchards, with an annual output of close to 20,000 tonnes. For decades, local growers sold raw fruit to traders who trucked it to Shenzhen and other ports for processing and re-export, earning as little as a few cents per kilogram in intermediary fees. Chen said the company expects to export lychees to more than 20 countries this year, with volumes projected to reach 5,000 tonnes.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Nanfang Plus
