The refreshingly sweet nectar of litchis is a delectable part of December festivities. But the fruit is increasingly leaving a bitter taste in farmers’ mouths. A tricky crop to manage at the best of times, volatile weather has been wreaking havoc on yields over the last few years, not to mention age-old challenges with markets. André Schoeman, owner of Laughing Waters litchi farm in Malelane, Mpumalanga, however still believes in the crop and its potential to provide a living. “It's a very rewarding crop when you get it right. But there are many dominoes that need to fall in place for you to capitalise on the crop. And many of those dominoes are not in a farmer's control, like the weather.”
After attending university, Schoeman returned to the family litchi farm, managing 630ha.
This was gradually expanded to 130ha, but soon afterwards, the larger part of the farm was sold, and Schoeman then purchased a section of the farm to independently continue his passion for litchi production. There were 15ha of litchis initially, which he expanded to the 65ha he farms today.
BLOWING HOT AND COLD
With market timing being a crucial
