Fruit flies hit Chinese tangerines

Beijing: China, trying to convince the world its food is safe, has now been hit by fruit fly rumours which have cost farmers millions of dollars in lost sales.

Tangerines, usually wildly popular at this time of year, are selling for less than 1 yuan (53 fils) a kg in Beijing and shoppers are still reluctant to buy while 1.6 million tonnes of unwanted fruit sit waiting for delivery trucks in the central province of Hubei.