In early December, two weeks before the traditional peak litchi harvesting season in the Malelane area of Mpumalanga, the fruit were brown, cracked and spoiling under a blazing sun. Due to the unusual heat, row after row of Komati Fruit’s litchis on Riverside farm were affected, with damage rising to 70% in some orchards.
“From mid-October to early December we had frequent heatwaves, which burnt the fruit not only on the outer parts of the canopy, but inside as well,” laments Cornel van der Merwe, marketing and packaging director of Komati Fruit. “Some of this fruit can go for juicing, but the price earned makes it unsustainable. And a lot is spoiled, so it has to be thrown away.”
Source: farmersweekly.co.za