Asian Citrus, China's largest orange producer, plantation owner and tropical fruit juice producer, has confirmed that the summer orange crop at its Hepu plantation in the south of the country was 57,367 tonnes, broadly in-line with management expectations outlined in March.
The figure represented a decrease in production, the company said, due largely to unstable weather conditions last year which led to an extensive infection of citrus canker and therefore a greater volume of premature fruit drop.
'As previously highlighted, the board considers the effect of this citrus canker infection to be limited to the current year's summer crop and anticipates that production volumes from Hepu plantation will return in the next financial year to volumes akin to previously reported levels, subject to normal weather conditions,' a spokersperson said.
The group's total annual production this year has also fallen in line with expectations, by 10.2 per cent from 243,421 tonnes to around 218,600 tonnes.
Asian Citrus' full-year results are expected to be published in September.
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