Citrus Crops
(Link to Citrus Production Success Story)
Cultivation of Citrus
Citrus producers from Santa Fe de Tutirihuara, in the Caranavi region, received approximately 10,500 saplings, including a variety of orange, mandarin, and lemon trees including different varieties in order to achieve higher income by producing citrics out of season. Under the guidance of YCADF staff, community members prepared the soil and planted the new saplings. Each participating family also received a set of tools and equipment. Training and technical assistance in methods to improve citrus quality and production, and in soil conservation and maintenance, was a key part of the project provided by qualified professionals. In these communities, 22 families, comprised of 110 people, benefited from the citrus project.
Citrus Supply and Demand
In the fall of 2003, USAID, the YCADF and DAI/CONCADE formed an alliance to improve the overall impact of the alternative development projects of the Yungas and Chapare. This relationship was established in order to work together on a citrus project that will result in significant sales of citrus from both alternative development regions to companies interested in packaging natural orange juice. A study, conducted by DAI/CONCADE, looked at the potential of citrus sales from the Chapare and found that there was significant demand for not-from-concentrate (NFC) orange juice within Bolivia.
Due to clear market demand, YCADF conducted a market study of citrus from the Yungas. This study, which was completed in February of 2004, focused on market demand, production volumes, harvest months and seasonal prices, and supply as related to industry requirements. A main objective of the study was to determine if citrus harvests in the Yungas were complementary to, or in conflict with, citrus harvests in the Chapare. The results found that there are several months in which no citrus are harvested from either region, others in which the harvests overlap and some months in which citrus is only available from one of the regions. In general, although the cycles are not perfectly balanced, the overall impact is quite significant for citrus producers of each region as natural orange juice becomes established in the national marketplace and demand grows. Phase II of the study is underway.
