The intense and prolonged summer heat has ruined a large swathe of durian plantations in Uttaradit and robbed the durian growers of their flavorsome fruit.
Durian trees in Uttaradit reportedly either didn’t bear fruit, bore fruit that cannot be eaten, or bore fruit that was spoilt. Some durian trees are also dying, as their leaves turn brown because of the severe heat.
Local farmers said that summer arrived sooner than normal this year, and has also lasted for a long time. This forced the durian trees to let their flowers and new fruit wilt away to preserve precious water within the trunk. The damage in the province’s main durian cultivating districts is estimated at 100 million baht (3 million USD) .
Local growers said they still hoped for rain to fall soon, so the durian trees might start to flower and fruit again.
Source: National News Bureau of Thailand