MIAMI — United States fruit importers are preparing for a tighter supply of South African lychees this winter, following last year’s bumper harvest that set a high benchmark for the category.
Seasons Farm Fresh, Inc., a major Florida-based importer that accounts for nearly 60 percent of total South African lychee shipments into the U.S., reports that production is expected to track slightly lower this season a natural ebb following an unusually high-yield crop cycle.
“Last year we had a bumper crop and typically lychees tend to be up and down in production,” said Nick Bernal, founder and CEO of Seasons Farm Fresh. “However, we’re hopeful for a good season for our wholesale and retail programs across the U.S.”
The upcoming harvest spans an eight-to-10-week window across three distinct growing regions in South Africa. The season is slated to kick off approximately one week later than last year’s timeline, with air freight programs anticipated to commence around the third week of November as commercial volumes become available.
Early-maturing varieties are largely absorbed by domestic African markets and European trade lanes due to limited yields. For the U.S. market, shipments consist predominantly of the Mauritius variety under the Rhino Lychee brand a moniker paying tribute to the fruit’s origin. Air shipments will bridge the market until bulk sea freight volume arrives, typically between weeks 52 and 53.
The trade relationship has evolved significantly over the past decade. What began as a niche operation importing a few pallets from a South African grower consortium has expanded rapidly. Between the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 seasons, imported volumes surged by roughly 300 percent.
That expansion aligns with a deliberate strategy to build year-round consumer demand in North America. Traditionally accustomed to summer harvests from Florida, Mexico, and China, American buyers have had to adapt to off-season availability from the Southern Hemisphere.
“We had to educate buyers about Southern Hemisphere lychees they weren’t used to seeing them at this time of year,” Bernal noted.
The late-fall and winter import window creates a favorable runway toward Lunar New Year in early February, traditionally a peak period for lychee consumption.
“The bulk of our volume comes in January and Lunar New Year drives a lot of those sales,” said Bernal. “There’s also generally good demand. We’ve had a lot of interest in retail programs and especially in growing those retail programs.”
Educating retail procurement teams also involves managing price expectations. Unlike Mexican imports which enter the market in volume, experience rapid saturation, and undergo sharp price drops South African fruit incurs substantial transcontinental logistics overhead.
“U.S. consumers are used to summer lychees which are picked and packed in the U.S. within 24–48 hours and the price point reflects that,” Bernal explained. “We’re coming from halfway around the world literally, so our cost chain is much longer. However, certain retailers and customers want to have the product because it’s also a very good sweet variety that people love.”
Managing margins remains delicate. Seasons Farm Fresh aims to balance returns for South African growers while maintaining accessible price points for American consumers to sustain movement across retail channels.
Supply chain hurdles continue to pose operational headwinds, particularly rising fuel costs. The previous 2025–2026 season was marked by elevated pricing driven by tariff expectations, severe wind disruptions at Cape Town Harbor, and late-January winter storms that suppressed U.S. retail foot traffic.
“So this year, we’re working towards controlling what we can the best we can,” Bernal said. “We don’t know where rising fuel costs will be when we start the season, for example. So we’re just doing what we can to ensure that we always have fresh fruit available for customers throughout the season.”
