Production
Brazil is the world's leading orange producer, with an output almost as high as that of the next three countries combined (the United States, India and China). Orange groves are located mainly in the state of São Paulo, in the southeast region of Brazil, and account for approximately 80% of the national production. As almost 99% of the fruit is processed for export, 53% of total global frozen concentrated orange juice production comes from this area and the western part of the state of Minas Gerais. In Brazil, the four predominant orange varieties used for obtaining juice are Hamlin, Pera Rio, Natal and Valencia.
The United States is the second largest producer. Groves are located especially in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona. The majority of California's crop is sold as fresh fruit, whereas Florida's oranges are destined to juice products. Mid-south Florida produces about half as many oranges as Brazil but the bulk of its orange juice is not exported. The Indian River area of Florida is known for the high quality of its juice, which is often sold fresh in the US – frequently blended with juice produced in other regions because Indian River trees yield very sweet oranges but in relatively small quantities.
Production of orange juice between the São Paulo and mid-south Florida areas makes up roughly 85% of the world market. Brazil exports 99% of its production, while 90% of Florida's production is consumed in the US.
Orange juice is traded internationally in the form of frozen concentrated orange juice to reduce the volume used so that storage and transportation costs are lower.
The European Union is the third largest producer of oranges worldwide.
| Top orange producers (million tonnes) |
2005 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Brazil | 17.9 | 18.5 | 18.1 | |
| United States | 8.4 | 9.1 | 7.5 | |
| India | 3.3 | 4.9 | 6.0 | |
| China | 2.7 | 4.2 | 5.0* | |
| Mexico | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | |
| Spain | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.1 | |
| Egypt | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.4 | |
| Italy | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.4 | |
| Indonesia | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | |
| Turkey | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.7 | |
| Pakistan | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | |
| Iran | 2.3 | 2.6 | 1.5 | |
| World Total | 63.1 | 69.6 | 68.3 | |
| *= unofficial figure. All figures for 2005 and 2008 are official. Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Economic and Social Department: the Statistical Division |
||||
Other countries with a significant production are South Africa, Morocco and Argentina.
Read more about this topic: Sweet Oranges
Famous quotes containing the word production:
“From the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”
—Charles Darwin (1809–1882)
“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“The problem of culture is seldom grasped correctly. The goal of a culture is not the greatest possible happiness of a people, nor is it the unhindered development of all their talents; instead, culture shows itself in the correct proportion of these developments. Its aim points beyond earthly happiness: the production of great works is the aim of culture.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)