Brazilian government and citrus sector to discuss proposal to minimize industry's losses

The orange and orange juice sector discussed, yesterday at the Ministry of Agriculture in São Paulo, a proposal to minimize losses in the 2012/2013 harvest, due to an excess in supply, estimated to be around 83 million boxes of 40.8 kilos.

According to the president of the Sector Chamber of Citrus culture, Marco Antonio Santos, the proposal to the government is to increase processing in the industry and look for, mainly in the National Company of Supplies (Conab), help with the remaining fruit and to discuss prices paid by the industry to citrus producers.

Although, sources in the industry say that processing companies could be compromised with a reduction in the orange processing efficiency, so they need to buy more fruit in the 2012/2013 season. The process is simple: instead of putting the orange in the 3 phase juice extraction, replace it for only one phase.

With it, companies would raise prognoses of delivery and total processing of orange, from 247 million boxes to 280 million boxes. The surplus fruit would be reduced from 83 million boxes to 40 or 50 million boxes.

Source: Globo Rural magazine