Follow our Citrus Food Value Chain
Vertically Integrated from Seed to Customer
Below you can follow the fully vertically integrated food value chain for our citrus fruits:
Citrus Nurseries
The care for our citrus fruits starts in our nurseries. According to the land test samples and product demand, we choose from 11 citrus varieties (including oranges, limes, lemons, mandarins, and clementines).
We plant our saplings on our newly acquired and prepared farmland, while we also re-plant trees when necessary.
Our Plantations
Our plantations are located in the southeast of Paraguay, where the high average rainfall and temperature make it ideal for citrus cultivation. This region also has very fertile soil and easy access to highly skilled staff.
Oranges also need year-round sunshine. Paraguay is subtropical, with high temperatures and sunshine hours all year with the exception of a short, mild winter in June and July. The cooler period makes the fruit very sweet, and therefore more marketable.
The citrus trees on our plantations are surrounded by a double hedge of eucalyptus, neem, and other shrubs which provide an effective natural barrier against insects and diseases. Our skilled farmers, who are an integral part of the success of our company, also inspect the trees daily.
The growth methodology is adjusted depending on the destination of the citrus, consumer, or industrial. We currently have 585 hectares for consumer citrus growth and 2,000 hectares for industrial orange growth (where the trees are planted closer to each other in order to produce more volume in a shorter period of time).
Processing & Distribution Centre (Consumer Citrus)
All of the processing, i.e. washing, sorting, waxing, and preparation for distribution, is done in-house using the latest state-of-the-art equipment. This ensures full control over the process and consistent high quality of our produce.
Processing Plant (2022) (Industrial Citrus)
This year we're planning to start the construction of a large processing plant on our Nueva Italia II plantation for the production of orange juice concentrate, orange oil and fresh orange juice.
Wholesale Distribution
Our distribution company, Frutibras SA, is the fourth largest of Paraguay. It supplies all the major Paraguayan supermarket chains, as well as smaller local grocery stores.
Since Paraguay currently imports 85% of its oranges, all our citrus fruits are destined for the local market.
Control over our own wholesale distribution means that the sale of all our citrus fruits is guaranteed at market rates.
In 2021 we also acquired 90% of Frutana, a medium-sized manufacturer of freshly squeezed orange juice and frozen fruit supplies. This takeover gives us immediate access to important customers for the direct sale of our freshly harvested oranges.
Granja Direct Supermarkets
Our Granja Direct (Farm Direct) gourmet supermarket chain was established in 2020 with its first location in Asuncion. A second location opened in 2021 with two further stores to open in 2022. The mission is to bring freshly harvested fruit to the table without detours. In addition to our own produce we work with many dedicated small farmers.
This completes the follow the food value chain for our citrus fruits with us controlling everything from seed to end consumer sale.
Agriculture was the first occupation of man, and as it embraces the whole earth, it is the foundation of all other industries.