The national production of lychee is estimated at around 100,000 tons. However, only a few part of this volume is exported. The area with the highest production potential is the east coast of Madagascar because of the climate and altitude, which are favourable conditions for the lychee plantation. The latter spreads over an area of about 100,000 sq km. The lychee industry is a major pillar of the national economy in the agricultural sector. The industry employs about 30,000 families living in rural areas, and more than 3,000 collectors and transporters.

Fruit

The lychee is a fruit with a hard and brittle red bark with scales that browns with the fruit ripening. The pulp is gelatinous, juicy and white translucent with a glossy appearance. The fruits grow in a cluster form that can exceed 60 cm. The lychee is a leading tropical fruit exported on the international market in large quantity. Some even consider it as the "King of tropical fruits."
The lychee, harvested when ripe, offers a pleasant sweetness and a delightful fragrance. Highly prized thanks to its exotic characteristics, the lychee is available on the market and largely consumed during the festive periods from November to February.

Madagascar exports essentially :

+ Fresh lychee with branches: the fruits do not undergo any form of treatment. They are collected, sorted and immediately packaged in cartons of 2 or 5 Kg. They are shipped by air in order to keep their red color and freshness as they can not be stored too long.
+ Sulphured lychee: the fruits are treated with sulphur dioxide. It is a mean of conservation to keep fruit quality during the shipping. This treatment causes the lychee yellowing, but it can be kept longer. It is the only accepted treatment and validated by the standards of the European Union. In addition, the fruits gradually found their orange-pink by light. Some restrictions must be followed during the conservation process, such as the level of sulphur allowed…

Besides the fresh or sulphured product presentations, it is possible to find the fruits canned in pulp. The lychee can also be used for the preparation of alcoholic beverages and cosmetic products such as shampoos and beauty creams.

Lychee plantation

The lychee requires a hot and humid environment and the substrate must never completely be dry. The plant is very sensitive to water shortages. It is possible to grow lychee planting two nails at the top of a kernel and putting the basic kernel in water. The root comes out of the kernel’s flat side within a few weeks. The water must be changed regularly and the root may take many months before it really starts to grow. It is then possible to transplant the nucleus in a ventilated and damp substrate. The root is very fragile, thus it is important to pay attention during this operation. The fruits appear only after 4 to 5 years. You may also germinate lychees in a plastic pot with wet cotton. Once the seed germinates, it can be planted in a pot of soil, sheltered from the cold and exposed to sun and wetness.