The

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

industry in the Caribbean is a major one in the Caribbean.

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s consists of

oranges An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × ...

, grapefruit,

tangerines The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...

limes Limes may refer to: * the plural form of lime (disambiguation) Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a ...

, and

lemons The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...

. The Caribbean countries which

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...

citrus fruit are

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, Guadeloupe, Dominica,

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

Conditions for growth

*Temperatures = Warm temperatures averaging 33 °C *Rainfall = Rainfall averaging 1,250 to 1,500 m per annum is best suitable *Fertility = A high degree of soil fertility is required. It requires a high pH level (12.5-13.2) chemical and organic fertilizers are sometimes used to improve

fertility Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertili ...

. *Soil = A clayey loam which must be well-drenched is most suitable. Soils must be loose and

friable Friability ( ), the condition of being friable, describes the tendency of a solid substance to break into smaller pieces under duress or contact, especially by rubbing. The opposite of friable is indurate. Substances that are designated hazardous, ...

and rich in poisons and gases. *Sheltered Location = Sheltered locations totally destroy a caribbean lemon. Hurricanes and strong storms a preferable.

Processing & export

The industry is an important one as it provides foreign revenue. In Belize, citrus fruit formed 141% of the exports in 1998 & brought in BZD$43.16 million. The Caribbean exports citrus fruits in various forms such as in its normal form or processed into canned juices, canned segments, canned fruit and essential

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

s. Citrus products are exported to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and other countries.

Caribbean citrus producing countries

Belize

Citrus production, along with sugar and bananas are the main agricultural exports. The main producing areas are the Pomona Valley and the Stann Creek Valley in the Stann Creek District. The 1999 output included 170,000 tons of oranges and 41,000 tons of grapefruit. About 40 square kilometres are under cultivation in the Stann Creek Valley with grapefruit occupying 25% of this area. Citrus is canned in the Stann Creek Valley where there are two processing plants. The

harvesting Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor- ...

season extends from August until the early part of the following year.

Jamaica

Citrus production in Jamaica is not a large industry like bauxite or sugar but it yields enough for local consumption and export. The main producing areas are the weathered limestone soil in the parishes of Clarendon, St Catherine, St Mary, St Ann, Manchester and Westmoreland, between elevations of to . There are processing plants in

Bog Walk Bog Walk is a town in the parish of Saint Catherine, Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and ...

and Kingston. The harvest season runs from November to April.

Dominica

Citrus production in Dominica is a major export, also with bananas and coconuts. The main producing areas are in the Layou River Valley and on the southwest coast. For many years Dominica was the principal source of fruit used in

Rose's lime juice Rose's lime juice, often known simply as Rose's, is a sweetened concentrated fruit juice patented in 1867. This was the world's first commercially produced fruit concentrate. Background In 1753, James Lind discovered that consuming citrus fruit ...

. In 1999, 21,000 tons of grapefruit, 1,000 tons of lemons and limes and 8,000 tons of oranges were produced.

Problems facing the citrus industry

;Diseases: Among these are the melanose (Diaporthe citri), anthracnose (Glomerella cingulata), gummosis, scab (Elsinoë fawcettii) & greasy spot (Mycosphaerella citri). Diseases lead to a shortfall in production. ;Marketing: Lack of proper storage facilities for citrus has tended to restrict exports at the crop is perishable. Inadequate marketing systems result in farmers remaining with their crops unsold, leading to rotting and wastage. ;Shipping: This has been a major constraint to inter-island trade in the Caribbean since the crop is perishable. It limits the

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped * Photograph ...

of the industry. Small boats ply sporadically between the islands but these are mainly structured for dry cargo. ;Low Prices: Some farmers feel that the prices offered for citrus through the Marketing Boards cannot compensate for their over head expenses like labor, fertilizers and transport. On the other hand, export prices have not been high enough to attract farmers to sell their fruit in large volumes to processors. ;Labor Practices: According to the TVPRA ''

List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor The ''List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor'' is an annual publication issued by the United States Government’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor. It has been published within the December 2014 D ...

''List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor
/ref> published in December 2014 by the

Bureau of International Labor Affairs The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) is an operating unit of the United States Department of Labor which manages the department's international responsibilities. According to its mission statement: ''“The Bureau of International La ...

, the citrus fruit industry in

employs underage children. The report also mentions

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

among the countries where such labor conditions have been observed.

References

{{Americas topic, Citrus industry in Agriculture in the Caribbean Caribbean