Growing lemon import does not threaten local industry
The lemon season in Anyue county, Sichuan province, runs from September to July the following year.…The lemon season in Anyue county, Sichuan province, runs from September to July the following year. Nearly 90% of all lemons produced in China come from Anyue. Production in the 2015-16 season is estimated to reach 450,000 tons. Production quality is stable; about 70% of all lemons meet national quality standard.
Wurong Liao, manager of Lvfeng Lemon, explains: “We plant lemons in our own orchards, which cover more than 1,500 hectares. Annually, we produce 20,000 tons. This coming season we expect our production volume to slightly increase. Most of our lemons are exported to countries in the Middle East, including Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai, and to Russia. The remaining lemons are sold on the domestic market, mainly to coastal cities. I expect this split to remain stable.”
“Currently, we focus on producing lemon and limes under a governmental support scheme. Since a couple of years, the local government has invested in breeding and processing technologies to support the local industry. We also run our own technical centre. This coming season I expect the price and quality of the new lemon harvest to remain stable. We apply advanced pest control techniques. The main risk we face comes from natural calamities, which are unpredictable”.
Lvfeng Lemon also imports lemons from South America and South Africa. Yearly, the company imports around 20 tons. “The import of lemons into China is growing. However, I do not believe this trend is threatening our local industry. We produce and provide good quality lemons almost all year around. I am confident in the future”.