On February 1-2, 2026, Mrs. Thunphitcha Theraratchanon, Director of the 2nd Regional Office of Agricultural Economics (ROAE2), assigned Mr. Chat Naowaphananon, a Senior Statistical Analyst, to conduct a field visit to monitor the flowering and fruiting situation of lychee trees in Nan Province for the year 2026. This was the first field visit of 2026 in a key production area, namely Mueang District, Nan Province. The objective was to monitor the flowering and fruiting situation of lychee trees at farmers’ orchards in Mueang District, Nan Province, in order to prepare data for estimating fruit production in Northern Thailand for 2026, in collaboration with the sub-committee for developing a data and logistics system in Northern Thailand, for planning the management of future produce entering the market.
The monitoring revealed that 100% of the lychee trees in the area have already flowered. Harvesting is expected to begin from April to May. Interviews with lychee farmers in Mueang District, Nan Province, indicate that lychee production this year is expected to decrease compared to last year. This is because intermittent rainfall and mild cold weather during November and early December 2025 have resulted in fewer new leaves and flowers on the lychee trees, which normally begin flowering in mid-December 2025 to January 2026. Furthermore, last year’s high fruit yield led some farmers to prune the trees for maintenance, allowing them to rest and accumulate nutrients. Some farmers have also cut down older, low-yielding lychee trees and switched to planting rubber trees and Robusta coffee.
Photo/News: Public Relations Working Group, ROAE2, Phitsanulok