Taiwan's Lemon Harvest Faces Crisis: Climate Change and Typhoons Devastate Production

Pingtung Farmers Struggle as Production May Plummet by 50-70% Due to Extreme Weather

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lemon farmers in Pingtung, Taiwan, are facing a dire situation as they grapple with the devastating consequences of climate change and severe typhoon damage. The upcoming harvest is predicted to be significantly impacted, with production potentially dropping by a staggering 50% to 70%.

Hsu (許), a lemon farmer from Jhutian Township, highlighted the reduced fruit-setting rate, primarily due to branch damage inflicted by last year’s typhoons. He forecasts a dramatic yield reduction to approximately 600 kilograms per 970 square meters, a stark contrast to the usual 2,400 kilograms.

Another farmer, Chang (張), expressed his concerns about potential financial losses, stating that with an investment of roughly NT$70,000 (US$2,368) to NT$80,000 per 970 square meters, he could face losses exceeding NT$500,000. He appealed to the government for financial aid to mitigate the impact of the crisis.

Hsu (許) also emphasized the need for improved disaster prevention and recovery systems. DPP Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸), who inspected the fields with local and central government officials, urged the Agriculture Ministry to expedite aid and establish early warning systems for vulnerable crops, such as lemons.

Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) warned that climate change would continue to intensify its impact on agriculture, potentially leading to even greater losses for farmers if assistance is not provided promptly. He noted that typhoons last year also affected the harvest of litchis, mangoes, and avocados.

Kung Tai-wen (龔泰文), an official from the Jiouru Township Farmers’ Association, stated that official estimates suggest a 50% drop in this year’s lemon harvest, as of April 28. He attributed the crisis to wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, leading to premature fruit drop.

Kung (龔泰文) explained that nighttime temperatures this spring plummeted to around 14 degrees Celsius, far below the ideal 20 degrees for lemon cultivation. He observed small, unripe lemons scattered on the ground and noted sunburn damage on the larger fruits, rendering them unsuitable for harvest. These combined factors are primarily related to the impact of climate change.

According to Kung (龔泰文), the lemons were already weakened by the typhoons experienced in 2023, and climate change then worsened the situation further, creating challenging circumstances for the lemon farmers.