China’s Citrus Output Set To See Impact of Drought

Since July, the Sichuan Basin and Chongqing regions have faced persistent hot weather, with many areas experiencing varying levels of drought. This has severely impacted crops, especially fruit production. Citrus fruits in particular have been hit hard, with widespread issues such as leaf scorch, defoliation, sunburn and fruit cracking resulting in significant yield reductions and considerable economic losses.

In Pujiang, a major production area for Chunjian (春见) mandarins, the prolonged summer heat has severely affected the crop. Some mandarins have cracked, and the leaves of certain trees have been scorched by the sun. Local farmers report that daily high temperatures remained above 38 Celsius degrees for nearly a month. Although the government performed cloud seeding to initiate artificial rainfall, it was brief and did little to alleviate the situation. Limited water supplies left many citrus fruits sunburned.

Owing to the status of Sichuan and Chongqing as key citrus-producing regions in China, media reports suggest that the nationwide citrus output will likely decline this year, with the production of many varieties, including Aiyuan (爱媛), Chunjian and Buzhihuo (不知火), being affected. Growers in Sichuan and Chongqing estimate that yields may drop by over 30%. In some orchards, the damage is so severe that growers may face near-total crop failure.

This year’s reduction in citrus output can be expected to lead to an increase in farm gate prices. With less fruit available, farmers will have less to sell, potentially enhancing their bargaining power when negotiating with buyers and distributors.

The adverse weather conditions have meant that many citrus orchards have seen a significant number of sunburned fruits, which are typically discarded. However, some unscrupulous merchants have reportedly seized this opportunity by purchasing these damaged fruits at extremely low prices — sometimes as little as 0.4 Chinese yuan ($0.06) per kilogram — and selling them on e-commerce platforms misrepresented as green-skinned Aiyuan oranges. In an effort to minimize their losses, some farmers have been willing to sell their sunburned fruits to such merchants, at the risk of severely damaging the reputation of Sichuan’s citrus industry. This situation could lead consumers to hesitate in purchasing even quality Aiyuan oranges. In response, citrus associations across Sichuan have issued various notices prohibiting local growers from engaging in this practice.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.