Demand for Lemons Surges as Chinese Seek Immunity Against Covid

(Bloomberg) — Business is suddenly booming for China’s lemon farmers as citizens turn to natural remedies to fight a mounting wave of Covid infections.

“The market is very much on fire,” said one farmer called Wen, who gave only his surname when reached by phone. Wen grows lemons on about 130 acres (53 hectares) in Anyue, a county in the southwestern province of Sichuan that produces around 70% of the fruit in China. He said his sales skyrocketed to 20 to 30 tons a day over the past week from just 5 or 6 tons previously.