Can you help the orange peasons here?
By Oldsix691418
@Oldsix691418 (3872)
China
November 22, 2011 7:18am CST
Hi,all my myLot friends!I've told you that I have an orange grove,and I've been taking care of it for more than 4 years.This fall I can have my first harvest,but the orange price has gone down from 5 yuan to less than 2 yuan each kilogram in only 1 month!
I live in Liucheng County,Guangxi Province in China,which main economy crops are canes and honey oranges,and the latter can easily bring the peasons here a marvelous income within 5 to 10 years if both the harvest and the orange price are better.So many people have a big or small honey orange grove either in the fields or on the hills,and they are all expecting this kind of fruits bring them great income each year.
But as long as the price is bad,they will gain nothing!Unfortunely the bad price is here this year,and they are losing a lot!
It's said that this kind of honey oranges can be used to make better orange juice.Can you want to have a try?Or can you help the peasons somehow else?
2 people like this
7 responses
@changjiangzhibin89 (16784)
• China
23 Nov 11
Less than 2 yuan each kilogram!What a heavy losses you will suffer!My heart go out to you.I doubt if some people rig the market to seek profit.Here the orange retail price is at about 4 yuan /kg lately.Have you come into contact with factories that produce Vc?
@changjiangzhibin89 (16784)
• China
28 Nov 11
The price of orange fluctuates from year to year .Your orange doesn't yield profit although it is a bumper harvest.I do feel for you.
@Oldsix691418 (3872)
• China
27 Nov 11
I have to accept the low price since they harvest 5 times of products than that of last year in Jiangxi,and the price there is lower!Every year many businessmen come to the orange fields and when they give a proper price then we sell the fruits.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
25 Nov 11
Oldsix691418,
I believe this is just one of the unfortunate instances where farming is facing a crisis that is actually hitting everyone in the pockets.
I do not know if your government would be able to intervene in time for this one but I am just skeptical that it will just end up like the Chinese cabbage up in another province where the farmers would find it a loss moving the lot out of their storage location.
Out of this, I wonder if your government could be more active with working out farming strategies that could optimize the produce and not be in this situation where the produce supply is overwhelming over demand. It is just wrong and disturbingly - repeatable.
I wonder if the farmers will be compensated by the government and/or the insurance companies for these losses. I hope there is.
@Oldsix691418 (3872)
• China
27 Nov 11
Yes,any investing risks more or less crisis that the investers should have thought of.And the lower price really will make me gain what I have invested later next year though I don't want to accept.
Yes,every year the similar things happen in China and the local government always does something to help the farmers out to make sure the prices are not too low.Now the honey orange price has grown to 2.40km or so.
I agree.The local government did worse in price foreseeing and physical distributing,but the better harvests in the other provinces are the main reason.
I don't think so because the honey orange investing is not grain investing.
Thank you so much!
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
22 Nov 11
Our government is subsidizing local farmers here when times are hard like when their farm is hit by drought or not getting good harvest. And they even set up farmers association to buy all farms produce so the farmers can get good returns for their harvest. But we still import fruits from overseas like apples and oranges as the demand is more than the supply.
@Oldsix691418 (3872)
• China
27 Nov 11
Our government does the same in those situations.A week ago some of the leaders from the local city government came to the orange fields to ask if the price was too low,and then they did some help.Our honey oranges are always carried to the rest of China as well as some Eastsouth Asian countries like Vietnam,but I don't know if they will be output to your country.
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
22 Nov 11
This is certainly one of the hardships of raising food for profit! Here the farmers had a severe drought which means they do not make as much per acre since they were not able to save many of thier crops. Orange juice sounds good. And then hopefully the price will go back up soon!
@Oldsix691418 (3872)
• China
27 Nov 11
Yes,I had thought of that before planting these orange trees,but little did I think that the price would go down so low!Now the price has grown a little high,but my oranges have almost been sold out!
@RobtheRock (2433)
• United States
22 Nov 11
With times so hard, I'd say experiement and see if you can also use the orange juice for other things like fuel. There's an idea out there somewhere.
@Oldsix691418 (3872)
• China
27 Nov 11
Maybe.But canes have been used as fuel here when they were too cheap.
@sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
23 Nov 11
I've never heard of honey oranges. What exactly makes them honey oranges? Sorry to hear you may not get as much from your crop as you anticipated. I know you've been working had on them. Best Wishes!
@Oldsix691418 (3872)
• China
27 Nov 11
Hehe,they are sweeter than the other oranges so we just call them "honey oranges",and they are as big as table tennises but now they are always more than that big!
Yes,I anticipated that I could gain what I had invested all those four years since they can always give a big harvest.But the price is really too low and I can do nothing.
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
16 Jun 12
Sorry for the late response on this. I finally have some time and am madly trying to catch up on old discussions. I have no idea how I can help. I wish there were a way you could ship to US but I'm sure that it would cost more than I would pay locally even if they would let fruit pass through customs. Did the prices ever go up during your harvest time? It seems like at one point you told me you had to cut down some trees because of disease or something. Have things improved at all? I hope things are going better for you now! Have a great weekend!!!