As typhoon risks grow, Guangdong farmers adapt to protect their livelihoods

A typhoon can wipe out a longan farmer’s harvest in a single season, leaving fruit on the trees but making it unmarketable. In Maoming, Guangdong, growers are racing to find buyers before storms arrive.

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We lost about 200,000 yuan (US$30,000) worth of our harvest.

Li Ziling, whose family has grown longans for generations, said they lost about 200,000 yuan (US$30,000) worth of produce last year. Although damaged fruit remained on the trees, the flesh had spoiled, so buyers no longer wanted it.

When storms hit, Li and her relatives collect fallen fruit in buckets and sell it cheaply to producers of dried longans and other processed goods. Livestreaming has become another way to reach customers quickly, though the rush to sell can push prices down. Li said prices can change sharply from one evening to the next.

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The impact of the typhoon is significant. Even though the damaged fruit is still on the tree, the flesh inside has already spoiled, so buyers don't want it.

Moving the orchards is not a practical answer, she said. Growers rely on nearby buyers, and relocating 100 kilometers away would reduce the concentration of orchards and make buyers less willing to travel. Maoming produced a record 550,000 tonnes of longans last year, in an industry valued at more than US$1.2 billion.

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Our whole family would take one bucket each and pick up the fallen longan fruit from the ground. We'd sell them for a few cents to people who make dried longan or other processed goods. Every little bit helps.

Local authorities said 10 typhoons made landfall in or severely affected Guangdong last year, matching a historical record. Meteorological officials say the province faces increasingly extreme weather, including the risk of stronger typhoons and record rainfall.

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It's impossible to move.