Sunday May 25, 2008
Bad weather a thorny issue for orchard owners
GEORGE TOWN: Durian orchard owners in Penang are experiencing a lean harvest this season, covering this month and the next, after heavy rains in December and January disrupted the flowering of the fruit trees.
Orchard owner Tham Soon Seong said excessive rain during the supposedly dry season resulted in many trees not flowering.
In good times: The average durian tree can yield 50 to 70 fruits after flowering. “A dry season is needed in order for the trees to undergo stress, a process when the bark cracks, allowing green buds to emerge,” said the co-owner of Pondok Upeh estate.
“It is important for the tree to undergo stress during its fertile period, which is when it produces hormones.
“After the fertile period is over, it is still possible for the tree to undergo stress and flower. However, with a late bloom, the fruits that materialise will not be so good,” Tham said, adding that durians dropped 90 to 120 days after the flowering.
He added that there had been a decrease in the yield every year since 2001, when the El Nino phenomenon started to affect the country’s weather.
Giving his reaons: Tham explaining why there will be a lean harvest this season as estate supervisor Lee Ah Lek listens. As the rainfall varied over different parts of the state, certain durian growing areas were hit harder than others, he said.
“Here, on the Balik Pulau side, we’ve been hit quite hard this year and about 60% of the trees in Pondok Upeh will not bear fruit this season,” Tham said, adding that it was one of the worst seasons since 2001.
The Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang, another part of Balik Pulau, also recorded a bad season with only 50% of the durian trees bearing fruit this season.
“For the last two years, we did not have enough rain, but this time around, we have too much. This has caused many durian flowers to drop, and without flowers, we have no fruit,” said farm co-owner T.S. Chang.
“Last year, we had about 70% of trees fruiting. This season, we expect only about 5,000 fruits coming out of the farm,” he added.
Meanwhile, things at the Tropical Fruit Farm in Teluk Bahang were looking even worse.
“The rain came at the wrong time. Hardly 20% of our 200 trees will fruit this season,” said farm owner Quah Ewe Kheng.
News Poll
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- Lau sought psychiatrist’s help after death of fan’s dad
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- Prime Minister comes up with plan to end crisis in MCA
- Fresh polls in six to eight months if new mechanism used
- Eli’s ex still being sought by cops
- Settle RM57, 5As pupil told High scorer can’t collect result slip
- Ong’s political secretary resigns
- The Star goes to Sarawak
- 10 states see increase in number of dengue cases
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- AirAsia launches new flights to three Indian cities
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- Lau sought psychiatrist’s help after death of fan’s dad
- Prime Minister comes up with plan to end crisis in MCA
- Take care of yourself first
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- Ministry sets eyes on ‘Sealegs’
- MACC accepts court decision
RSS
