Fruit

Citrus

Papaya

Golden Apple

Bananas

 

Citrus

Description

Citrus refers to the group of fruit which include the orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit and tangerine. Citrus fruits are notable for their fragrance, partly due to flavonoids and limonoids contained in the rind, and most are juice-laden. The juice contains a high quantity of citric acid giving them their characteristic sharp flavour. Many species are cultivated for their fruit, which is eaten fresh, pressed for juice, or preserved in jams, marmalades and pickles.

Citrus trees hybridise very readily. Thus all commercial citrus cultivation uses trees produced by grafting the desired fruiting cultivars onto rootstocks selected for disease resistance and hardiness.

Current Situation

Citrus is the largest category of fruit produced regionally with an estimated total of 595,789 metric tonnes in 2006 and represented 40% of total fruit production, which was dominated by Belize and Jamaica.

With regard to fruit imports into CARICOM in 2006, citrus came in fourth with 10%. And in the case of exports, citrus was the third main export commodity at 6%, preceded by banana and papaya. The main exporters were Belize and Jamaica.

In terms of growth, citrus production increased from 8.2m kg in 2005 to 8.9m kg in 2008 resulting in an increase of 8.9%.

Table: CARICOM Citrus Production (Tonnes) 2012 - 2013 (Source: FAOSTAT)

Country

Item

 2012

flag

 2013

flag

2012

2013

Avg 2012/13

%

Bahamas

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

20,402

 

21,143

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

3,109

 

2,779

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

3,661

 

3,662

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Tangerines, mandarins, clementines, satsumas

720

 

738

Im

27,892

28,322

28,107

4.6

Belize

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

34,988

 

25,426

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

245,258

 

230,000

F

280,246

255,426

267,836

43.6

Dominica

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

13,500

F

13,912

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

1,400

F

1,363

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

6,250

F

6,552

Im

21,150

21,827

21,489

3.5

Guyana

Fruit, citrus nes

700

F

724

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

1,050

F

1,080

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

1,259

 

986

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

1,306

 

2,581

 

4,315

5,371

4,843

0.8

Haiti

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

7,200

F

7,200

F

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

40,000

F

40,000

F

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

26,500

F

26,500

F

 

 

 

 

 

Tangerines, mandarins, clementines, satsumas

12,000

F

12,000

F

85,700

85,700

85,700

13.9

Jamaica

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

44,300

F

44,500

F

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

26,500

F

26,500

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

91,657

 

83,145

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tangerines, mandarins, clementines, satsumas

8,250

F

7,263

Im

170,707

161,408

166,058

27.0

Montserrat

Lemons and limes

100

F

100

F

100

100

100

 

Saint Lucia

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

1,100

F

1,142

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

285

F

291

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

500

F

496

Im

1,885

1,929

1,907

0.3

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

205

 

171

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

972

 

1,036

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

1,375

 

1,488

Im

2,552

2,695

2,624

0.4

Suriname

Fruit, citrus nes

1,195

 

2,436

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

2,917

 

3,667

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

219

 

265

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

15,566

 

17,502

 

19,897

23,870

21,884

3.6

Trinidad and Tobago

Fruit, citrus nes

6,000

F

6,144

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

2,000

F

1,576

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Lemons and limes

2,300

F

2,373

Im

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges

4,000

F

3,838

Im

14,300

13,931

14,116

2.3

TOTAL

 

 

 

 

 

628,744

600,579

614,662

100.0

Key: F = FAO estimate, lm = FAO data based on imputation methodology

The CARICOM Fresh and Processed Market Opportunity Study states that oranges dominate citrus production in the Caribbean, making up more than two thirds of all citrus produced. The crop is both sold whole and processed as juice in concentrated and single strength forms.

Production is concentrated in Belize and to lesser extent in:

  • Jamaica
  • Bahamas
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Dominica
  • Suriname

Oranges are exported both as whole fruit and as juice. However, only about 5% of the CARICOM’s production is exported as whole fruit. In a few countries, a substantial proportion of the crop is processed and the value of regional juice exports significantly exceeds that of whole fruit exports by a factor of three or more.

Regional imports of orange juice are considerable, averaging 14,000 metric tonnes per annum. However, most of this is imported from within the region, which is therefore a net exporter of orange juice.

Grapefruit production, at approximately one-third of orange by volume, is distributed amongst a range of countries and export volumes are effectively concentrated in two countries. The Bahamas led in the export of whole fruit accounting for 92% of exports, while Belize accounts for 99% of all grapefruit and pomelo juice exports.

Business Case

Why invest in citrus production?

  • Greater prospects exist in intra-regional markets for fruit juice production

Citrus producers/processors


Papaya

Description

Papaya (Carica papaya), also known as paw paw, is popularly grown in the tropics and is adapted to diverse soils and climates. The fruit has a sweet taste and good flavours, and is high in vitamin C and other nutrients. It is also versatile, with unripe fruit cooked as a vegetable much like a summer squash, or used in cubes for salads.

Current situation

According to the findings of a document entitled “The Papaya Industry in CARICOM:​ Competitiveness and Industry Development Strategies,  the  papaya industry in CARICOM is “relatively underdeveloped. The volume of production is commercially significant in only a few countries, with the most important being Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.”

Papaya, as a significant export industry, is limited mainly to Belize and Jamaica, with exports in both cases dominated by few large producers /exporters. The Belizean Papaya industry is the largest in CARICOM, ranking second to Mexico in terms of the volume of exports to the US market with production being concentrated among three large producers.

One of the constraints identified in a Market Intelligence Report on papaya is Caribbean suppliers/producers’ inability to consistently supply large volumes of high quality papaya to the US, Canada and UK markets.

Also these markets appear to have a stronger preference for smaller single serve fruits and in this regard there is a marked preference for the Solo and Solo Sunrise varieties. These have a competitive edge over other larger varieties such as Maridol and Red Flesh.

Another constraint facing the region’s papaya industry is the state of development of the domestic market. This market remains underexploited, particularly the tourism component. So too is the development of the value added aspect of the industry.

 

Table: Papaya Production (Tonnes) (Source: FAOSTAT)

Country*

2012

2013

Bahamas

540

540

Belize

20,000

26,000

Dominica

80

82

Guyana

521

525

Haiti

100

100

Jamaica

6,455

8,382

Suriname

264

660

Trinidad and Tobago

1,027

1,080

TOTAL

28,987

37,369

*Data not available for other countries

Business case

Why invest in papaya production?

  • Regional demand for papaya remains undersupplied with respect to its various uses
  • Local populations and tourism sectors have a strong preference for papaya as a fruit
  • Potential to dominate domestic and international markets due to its use as both table fruit and in its green form as a processing raw material
  • CARICOM’s imports for 2014 were USD $973,000 while exports were USD $10.67 million
  • Belize is the major exporting country accounting for 98.1% of the quantity exported
  • The US is the most important market for CARICOM producers to target due to
    • size of the market (US $58.3 M)
    • growth trends
    • close proximity
  • Other markets, including the EU (especially the UK) and Canada, offer export potential
 

Golden Apple

Description

Golden apple, or June plum, botanical name Spondias dulcis, is a member of the Anacardiaceae family, which is a family of flowering plants that bear drupe fruits, which includes mango, poison ivy and cashews.

Also known as Pommecythere, Yellow Egg and Jamaican June plum, golden apple differs completely to   American, Japanese and European plums which are thin skinned stone fruits and members of the Prunus genus and Rosaceaa family. The single most common denominator between golden apples and true plums is that the fruits both bear a central pit.

Golden apple has a creamy colored semi-acidic firm flesh with flavors of pineapple, mango and apple. When mature it reveals aromas of sweet summer melons and its skin eventually ripens from lime green to hues of rose and orange.

The fruit of the tree tends to be in season in the early and latter parts of the year, namely January and February and then July to December.

Golden apples are commonly used to make jams, chutneys and juices. They are used as a pickling ingredient and a traditional accompaniment to ice cream and yogurt. They complement:

  • grilled and roasted seafood
  • chilies
  • citrus
  • other tropical fruits such as papaya and mango
  • stewed meats such as lamb and pork
  • dried fruits such as raisins and figs, berries, ginger and anise

Current Situation

Some 3,000 metric tonnes of golden apple is produced in the region annually. In Grenada, according to the Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB), golden apple is the second main export fruit (preceded by soursop) and accounts for 6% of fruit production there.

Business Case

Why invest in golden apple production?


 

Bananas

Description

The banana and plantain family are botanical berries that have been used for starch for a long time. The fruit is variable in size, colour and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved with soft flesh rich in starch and covered with rind which may be green, yellow, red, purple or brown when ripe. Bananas are sweet, particularly from the Cavendish group, while plantains are starchier, less sweet, and are eaten cooked rather than eaten raw.

Bananas constitute a major staple food crop in developing countries. The most common edible banana is Cavendish which may be unviable for large scale cultivation in the next 10 – 20 years. Cavendish plants are all genetically identical which them vulnerable to diseases such as Panama Disease and Black Sigatoka disease.

World banana production amounts to around 81 million tonnes per year. Due to the climatic conditions required to grow them, production is mainly concentrated in developing countries in Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Current Situation

In the Windward Islands and the rest of the Caribbean especially Dominica, holdings are in the one to two acre range. For many Latin America and the Caribbean producer countries, bananas are a crucial cash crop, and the majority of these bananas are exported.

In the Caribbean, production is usually done by private stakeholders with the government providing support to producers. For the Windward Islands, the industry has been the most important sector since the 1950s. Most farmers are organised under the Windward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA) which links national organisations of small farmers in each country. In St. Vincent, banana production employs upwards of 60% of the work force and accounts for 50% of merchandise exports.  Meanwhile, Jamaica’s exports have declined significantly since 2008 and the country now mainly produces for local consumption.

Fairtrade Bananas attributes a decline in banana production to factors such as:

  • Limited, hilly and inaccessible lands for production
  • High wage levels compared to other producing countries, since labour costs account for almost 70% of total production costs
  • Competitive pricing in key European markets which undermine the industry’s profitability
  • Strict quality demands imposed by UK supermarkets which make it harder for Caribbean producers to compete
  • Banana farming in the Windward Islands is carried out by small scale producers rather than plantations

Statistics on CARICOM banana production, yields and area harvested for the years 2008-2013 are available for download. They are sourced from FAOSTAT.

Business Case

Why invest in bananas?

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