Gu Jia/Shanghai Daily news

The Shanghai Fruit Business Association is forecasting a record low lichee price in local markets this year, according to today's Oriental Morning Post.
Usually, lichees enter the market during early March and reach their selling peak in late June. This year, however, the fruit is over 15 days late for market.
This year, the continuously rising mercury is restricting the lichee prices to no more than 12 yuan (US$1.45), 6 yuan lower than the same period last year. What is worse is that the concentrated arrivals of other summer fruits, like strawberries, peaches, mangos, plums and waxberries, interferes with its normal sale.
"One business used to order at least 15 to 16 boxes of lichees here, " one operator from a fruit wholesale market on Waima Rd said, disappointed, "but now most local fruit dealers purchase no more than two to three boxes at one time. "
In the coming week, local lichee prices will experience a further reduction.