Qiongzhong green oranges hit by Sarika typhoon

Last week, super typhoon "Sarika" landed in Hainan, and caused tremendous losses to fruit and vegetable growers in Qiongzhong city, especially to green orange growers. Around 667 hectares of green oranges were impacted, of which 33 hectares had almost no harvest. Originally scheduled to be picked around the 25th of this month, the overall green orange output dropped to around 10,000 tons, nearly 800 tons of loss or about 20% of the harvest volume.

In addition to the loss of volume, green orange growers also worry about pest issues in the aftermath of the typhoon. Because temperatures normally rise after a typhoon, this could lead to water evaporation on orange trees and, due to damaged roots, mean that they can no longer supply sufficient water to the trees, which can eventually lead to pest issues. Moreover, immature green oranges can suffer from the wounds caused by the typhoon, which makes them more prone to bacterial infections, especially the sour & rot disease.

Due to the typhoon impact, the green orange harvest will be postponed until November. So far it is uncertain whether the taste of green oranges will be affected by the typhoon and ensuing heavy rains, as it also depends on the weather in the future. In order to ensure the flavor and taste of green oranges, they have to be picked when the Brix level reaches 12 degrees. Prices are expected to rise.

Source: http://www.hinews.cn/