November 15, 2025 | The Express Newspaper |
Lychee farming is expanding in Queensland’s Tablelands and the Mareeba–Dimbulah Irrigation Area, where about 40 farms operate. According to the Department of Agriculture’s latest five-year horticulture profile, lychee production now covers around 350 hectares and produced 745 tons last season, valued at $11.1 million in gross production. This marks strong growth from 2019, when 250 hectares produced $6.3 million in value.
Lychees have been grown in Australia for more than 150 years, first introduced by Chinese immigrants in the 1870s. The country’s oldest orchard, located near Cairns, is still run by descendants of those early settlers.
The industry is represented by the Australian Lychee Growers’ Association (ALGA), which supports a mix of small and medium growers. Despite cyclone damage and unpredictable weather in recent years, national production has remained stable due to new plantings replacing lost trees.
Australia’s lychee season runs from October to March, giving it a major advantage on global markets because it supplies fruit during the Northern Hemisphere’s off-season, including Christmas and Chinese New Year. Queensland produced 2,622 tons in the 2024–2025 season, valued at about $40 million. Around 25% of Australia’s lychees are exported to markets across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
