Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP class 17 left Seville the morning of January 15 heading to Sunaran Citrus Coop near the town of Palma De Rio. We were greeted by our tour guide Rosa for an informative tour of one of the biggest citrus coops in Spain. The coop consists of 98-100 members, all of which are farmer members.

The coop has 1500 acres of land growing a wide variety of orange variety’s with the main being “Salustiana” which is a juice press variety. Besides oranges they also do grapefruits with the main variety “Esta Red”.

On a yearly basis the plant handles 52 million kg of citrus fruits from October to July. After the fruit is received it is washed before three bins are examined and tested for weight and quality. Once cooled the citrus is once again washed, cleaned and dried. Before sorting the citrus is dried. Citrus is sorted based on size, imperfections and colour. Sorting removes the oranges that have visual imperfections and they are sent to be processed into juices.

Sunaran prides themselves on strict quality control. Parameters are met and measured every step of the process. Every product gets analyzed for a rating of juice and sugar content. If oranges arrive not fully ripened, they use ethylene gas to accelerate maturity. By controlling gas and temperature the oranges will change colour on the outside but change nothing on the inside.

In the factory there are about 200 workers and seasonally there are 300 to 400 extra workers in the fields. Many of the workers are from Poland and Romania. The oranges are sent to most of Europe but also China, UAE, Columbia, Korea and some to Canada. Canada receives about 200 containers annually with 21 pallets or 24,000 kg. The oranges destined for Canada take approximately one week from field to packaged and then two weeks of travel before arriving.

Following the tour, the class ventured to small, quiet town of Palma del Rio for lunch. The old city is walled using the cement style of the Muslim inhabitants, serving as a defensive point for the area until 1720. Shortly after, the Iglesias de la Asuncion was constructed. The visit was capped with a leisurely lunch at the former monastery, Monasterio de San Francisco.

Following lunch, the class ventured to Cordoba to visit one of Spain's national treasures, Mezquita. Tucked behind the 2nd century Roman walls of the UNESCO World Heritage City, Mezquita is a massive (understatement) former mosque now with a 16th century church rising up from the middle. The mosque was once the centre of western Islam that breathed math, art and philosophy into the region and was the heart of a cultural capital that rivalled Baghdad and Constantinople. Dating back to the 8th century, the mosque was influenced by classical Roman design and considered a wonder of the medieval world and a shining example of the Islamic Cordoba in its prime. 

The AALP Class stayed overnight in Cordoba and made its plan to travel to Madrid the following day.

Views: 659

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

New funding supports fight against invasive plants

May is Invasive Species Action Month and 33 organizations throughout B.C. will be able to continue their work fighting invasive plants, due in part to a funding boost from the Province. “B.C. has some of the most amazing ecosystems in the world, with many that are unique, fragile and in danger from invasive plants,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “No one person, group, agency or government can effectively control invasive plant species alone, and collaboration is critical to everyone’s success. The work these groups do is crucial in our fight together to ensure B.C.’s unique environments remain healthy and vibrant.” Invasive plants can disrupt ecosystems, reduce biodiversity, increase soil erosion, alter soil chemistry and adversely affect agriculture production and water quality, causing substantial economic and environmental damage. They may also pose a health risk to people and animals.  Nearly $3 million will go toward groups, such as regional invasive species committees

Avian Flu: CFIA detects AI in two provinces, one positive case found in a wild bird in Saskatchewan

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency detected the presence of Avian Influenza (AI) in Saskatchewan and Manitoba last week. The CFIA noted AI was detected in three non-commercial poultry flocks in Saskatchewan, in the Rural Municipalities of Indian Head, Colonsay, and Lipton, as well as in a commercial poultry operation in the Manitoba R.M. of Wallace. Most poultry and egg production operations already have biosecurity measures in place, but producers who maintain small flocks, should look at enhancing their biosecurity measures as a way to protect their birds. Producers are reminded to contact a veterinarian or nearest animal health office if they believe their birds are infected, or if they spot a sick or dead wild bird to report it to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative or the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment general inquiry line. Testing wild birds for AI underway Testing for Avian Influenza in wild birds, such as Canada Geese, Snow Geese, and other migratory birds, is

Agriculture Student Scholarship recipients announced in Saskatchewan

Today, Saskatchewan students pursuing a post-secondary education in agriculture were awarded the Agriculture Student Scholarship. Abbey Norek is this year’s Agriculture Student Scholarship grand-prize $6,000 winner. Norek’s winning video highlighted an urban-rural disconnect when it comes to agriculture. She proposed education and advocacy as key solutions to this issue. Demonstrating strong personal commitment to this topic, she discussed her experience building a school garden using recycled materials, leading outreach programs on her family farm, and lobbying for agriculture electives in her school division. Norek is excited about encouraging other young people involved in agricultural education. Noah Skoropad from Chamberlin, Rebecca Mayerle from Tisdale and Ty Annand from Nipawin were all awarded $3,000 as the runners-up. The recipients will be attending post-secondary at the University of Saskatchewan in the fall at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources seeking Bachelo

2025 Board and Staff Retreat: Celebrating Wins and Planning for What’s Next

In April, OFT’s board and staff came together at the Guelph Arboretum for a board meeting and retreat. The day was an opportunity to reflect on recent achievements and look ahead to the exciting work underway. Highlights from the day included:

Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance reveals new board of directors

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance says its 2025 board of directors will be led by Steve Campione, chief financial officer of BrightFarms, as its chair.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service