Fruit production suffers in hot weather, prices rise / 連日高溫 水果現畸型.價格飆漲　　　　　　　　　　

Some of the papayas in Yunlin County have become deformed due to the high temperatures. The local farmers' association says that the harvest in November will be cut by half. Also, the prices of bananas and mangoes have quadrupled and are unlikely to go down before the end of the year. High temperatures of 36 or 37 degrees Celsius have been recorded across Taiwan recently. Even fruit production has suffered from the punishing heat. On this fruit farm in Yunlin County's Linnei, papayas have become deformed. some papayas are just the size of a thumb. Farmers are feeling helpless. ==TSAI YING-HE Farmer== If its too hot the pollen doesn't grow, the papayas are growing all pointy Yunlin Farmer's Association said when the temperature goes above 35°C, papaya cannot self-pollinate. This fruit then grow deformed. Papaya production is expected to be cut by half from now on until November. Other seasonal fruit also suffered from the cold weather at the beginning of this year, as well as from Typhoon Nepartak. The wholesale price for bananas has gone from a little over NT$10 to NT$40. ==CHEN CHUN-CHI, Linnei Township Farmers' Association== Typhoon Nepartak did a lot of damage in the Pingtung area. That's why distributors are buying fruit from the central region. Premium bananas are now priced at NT$40. Aiwen mango has also become much more expensive. It used to cost just NT$20 for one mango, but now the price for an Aiwen mango has increased 4 fold to NT$100. People are feeling hesitant in buying fruit. ==CONSUMER== NT$50 or 60 for one mango is more reasonable. This year mango is much pricier, due to poor productivity I guess. As the weather condition continues to impact fruit productivity, Farmer's Association said fruit prices will remain high until the end of this year. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 天氣真的好熱，全台的氣溫動不動就飆高到36、37度，不僅民眾受不了，就連水果也不敵高溫氣候，雲林縣林內鄉的網室木瓜果園裡，就出現大量只有拇指大小的畸形果木瓜，跟正常木瓜一比實在小的可憐，果農也很無奈。 ==木瓜農 蔡英和== 太熱了連花粉都不會漲 木瓜長出來都尖尖的 雲林農會表示，一旦氣溫高於35度，雌雄同體的木瓜花蕊活性會降低、自體授粉不良，就會造成果實外表呈不規則狀，破壞賣相，估計一直到11月，木瓜產量恐怕會減少一半，除了木瓜產量變少，其他夏季盛產水果，像是香蕉，也因為年初寒害，加上尼伯特颱風重創，產地批發價每公斤就從10幾元漲到40元。 ==林內鄉農會推廣股主任 陳俊吉== 尼伯特颱風來屏東地區損害很嚴重 中盤商已經都跑到中部地區林內鄉 搶到現在已經我們一級的（香蕉） 產地價已經40元了 另外，愛文芒果也漲幅也很大，以前1顆20幾元就吃得到，現在1顆差不多100元，漲幅大概4倍，讓民眾買不下手。 ==民眾== （芒果）50、60元就差不多了 今年特別貴 好像生產不佳吧 所以就比較貴 在天候持續影響水果產量之下，農會預估年底前民眾想要吃到平價水果可能會很難。 記者 吳雅瑜 林國煌 王威雄 台北雲林報導