"China: "Zigui oranges facing sales difficulties"

"The Lane Late Navel orange is a rare variety. It matures every year between early March and April. The production season generally lasts two months. The production volume of Lane Late Navel oranges is less than 20% of the total production volume of Navel oranges. The Lane Late Navel orange is fresh and sweet in comparison with other orange varieties, its sugar content is high, and the orange is easily turned into juice with pulp." This is according to Zheng Jiarong, an orange orchard owner and retailer from Zigui County, Hubei.

"We have more than 67 hectares of orange orchards in Zigui County. We produce many varieties, and are currently in the middle of the production season of Red Heart and Lane Late oranges. The overall market conditions of Zigui oranges are far from ideal this year. We even encounter circumstances where Zigui oranges are unmarketable. The price dropped by 50% in comparison with the same period last year."

"There are many reasons for the current predicament of Zigui oranges. One of them is the influence of extreme weather conditions on the quality of Zigui oranges. Other reasons include excessive supply that stems from the growing surface area of Zigui orange orchards, and unclear market channels. The volume of consigned fruit grows larger as the harvest season progresses. We are looking for buyers throughout the country to open up market channels."