TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan City Government's Agriculture Bureau said Typhoon Gaemi in late July led to a 20% decline in the pomelo harvest, with overall production dropping from 26,000 metric tons to 21,000 metric tons.
According to agricultural officials, pomelos are planted on 1,097 hectares within Tainan, which is similar to previous years. However, Typhoon Gaemi caused fruit to fall off pomelo trees, broken branches, and other damage leading to lower production.
In Tainan, pomelo harvest season begins this weekend (Aug. 17-18) with harvesting expected to be completed in two weeks, per CNA. The seasonal availability of pomelos leads many people in Taiwan to associate the fruit with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Tainan's Madou District is the main location for pomelo cultivation, occupying 838 hectares, and nearby Xiaying District has 93 hectares of pomelo orchards. Local agricultural officials say the sweetness of Tainan pomelos is generally above 12 degrees (Brix) with pulp that is soft, sweet, and juicy.
Meanwhile, Hualien’s Ruisui Township suffered even more damage to its pomelo production due to climate change and drought, leading output to being halved. According to agricultural officials, Ruisui Township is the second-largest production area with a beneficial pH value and has 646 hectares of pomelo orchards.
A Ruisui pomelo farmer, Luo Feng (羅峰), told CNA that he worked hard to protect his pomelo orchard and still experienced a reduced harvest of between 20%-30%. Even though the pomelo harvest has declined, prices may not increase as the price of high-quality pomelo is between NT$15-18 (US$0.47-0.56) per 600 grams.
