The LYCHEE and PROFITS 
Facts supporting the financial side of Lychee growing 
are mounting each year as growers in widely separated 
sections of Central and South Florida contribute the 
benefit of their experiences in growing and marketing 
this delicious fruit. 
The story is not yet complete, for the Lychee has only 
recently emerged from its experimental state in Florida, 
but slowly there is being pieced together an attractive 
picture of what the prospective grower can anticipate in 
the way of required investment and the subsequent return 
on that investment. 
Those contemplating planting orchards of Lychee trees 
are understandably interested in the financial side of this 
new agricultural industry and it is for them that this 
summary of costs and returns is offered. 
Planting and Early Maintenance 
Initial cost of establishing a Lychee orchard will be 
found to approximate the investment required to put out 
a citrus grove of the same size, with the exception of the 
higher cost of the trees themselves. Lychee trees in 
wholesale lots for acreage planting will cost $3.75 each 
—this price reflecting the expensive propagating tech- 
niques required to produce young trees. At the recom- 
mended 50 trees per acre, this brings the cost for trees to 
$187.50 per acre. 
Expense of buying and clearing suitable raw land will 
average around $200 per acre. If the land chosen is 
already cleared, some savings will be realized on this 
part of the budget. The necessary investment to assure 
adequate water supply and drainage will vary with the 
locations under consideration. 
Growers estimate the cost of planting and caring for 
10 acres of Lychees the first ten years to be from 
$8,000 to $10,000, of which about half will be needed for 
the first year. This figure includes annual cultural ex- 
penses, fertilizers, etc. These estimates are based on 
cost figures compiled by the Agricultural Extension 
Service, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., for cit- 
rus groves averaging 10 years of age and under, for the 
year 1946-47. For Lychees, the addition cost for trees 
has been included. 
