City officials have a launched a drive to boost banana sales to avoid a potential catastrophic harvest for farmers, Nanguo City News reported.

Sanya in south China’s Hainan province is offering a free door-to-door delivery service of the fruit for two yuan per kilogram after sales plummeted leaving some famers facing bankruptcy.

The island municipality produces around 70,000 tons of bananas this year, but so far has only sold 40,000 tons due to rumors about the use of the plant hormone ethephon. Some 30,000 tons of the fruit could be left to rot after claims circulated.

The Sanya municipal government called for immediate action to save the stock, demanding an all-out effort to resolve the issue within ten to fifteen days.