date:May 19, 2017
A perfect storm of unfavourable climatic conditions during fruit set and fruit development was responsible for the disastrous splitting of Navel oranges evident this season in the Eastern and Western Cape, says Hannes Bester of Citrus Research International, following an investigation into the phenomenon.
Navel growers in the Eastern and Western Cape expect losses of between 30 and 50%, if not more in some areas.
There were temperatures of over 40C with very low relative humidity of 7 or 8%, c