HAIKOU, May 12 (Xinhua) -- In Bincunshan of Qionghai City, south China's Hainan Province, lychee orchards are heavy with ripe and red fruit as the harvest season arrives.
For villager Li Shiwu, the bustling harvest is a rewarding moment.
"This year's lychees are bigger and better colored, and they should fetch a good price," he said.
Li, 54, is a lychee grower and head of a local farmers' cooperative that provides free technical training and a full range of services, from agricultural supplies to sales, storage, processing and transportation, helping lychee farmers improve both efficiency and income.
Bincunshan, an economic area known for tropical crops such as pepper, pineapple and lychee, enjoys favorable natural conditions. Yet for years, limited technical knowledge and outdated farming practices constrained the yields and returns of the local lychee industry.
In 2011, Li returned from working in Dongguan in neighboring Guangdong Province to take over his family's orchard. Starting as a novice, he endured repeated setbacks.
Determined to improve, he attended government-organized training programs and sought advice from experts, while testing new techniques in his own fields. His persistence paid off as yields and quality steadily improved.
"At first, others doubted my methods," Li said. "But when they saw the results, they began to learn and adopt them."
In 2023, Li helped establish the cooperative to share his experience with his fellow growers.
Today, it has more than 100 member households managing around 1,000 mu (about 66.7 hectares) of lychee orchards. Average yields are about 15 tonnes per hectare, with output value ranging from 225,000 yuan (about 32,882 U.S. dollars) to 300,000 yuan per hectare.
The cooperative model has helped slash costs, standardize production and boost profitability, offering a practical pathway for rural industrial development.
Local authorities have also stepped up support by introducing improved varieties, strengthening technical services, and promoting large-scale, standardized operations, as part of broader efforts to build a modern agricultural system.
Looking ahead, Li plans to continue introducing advanced techniques and organizing regular training sessions to encourage knowledge sharing among farmers.
"Now, there is a strong culture of learning and cooperation in the village," he said. "With better management and shared experience, our lychee industry will keep growing stronger."
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