Delicious oranges
The largest export of fresh produce, Australian citrus is highly valuable to our economy and to our
farming and agriculture industry. With an annual export quantity of 120,000 tonnes, there’s
great demand for the quality and reliability of fresh Australian oranges.Words
/
Cat WoodsA
ccording to Citrus Australia, the
production of citrus began in this
country in 1787 with the First Fleet
introducing plantations of lemons,
limes, oranges, grapefruit and mandarins to
Sydney. The climate, with dry and hot summers
and rainy winters, resulted in dependably
flavour-packed and richly coloured fruit. Now,
more than 28,000 hectares of citrus belong to
1900 growers within five major regions.
The five main regions that Citrus Australia
highlights as major orange producers are the
Murray Valley, Riverina, Queensland, South
Australia and Western Australia.
A whopping 40 per cent of Australian citrus
is processed into juice. The most popular
juicing variety is Valencia, which has a sweeter
flavour profile. Juice that is produced locally is
labelled with an “Aussie Grown” endorsement
logo or labelled “Product of Australia”.Nutritional value
Oranges are packed full of fibre, vitamin
C, thiamine, folate and antioxidants.
They’re low in calories, being mostly
natural sugars and water. Despite their
sugar content, oranges have a low
glycaemic index (GI) of 31-51. This makes
them an ideal snack, which won’t spike the
blood sugar and leave people hungry again
soon after. The high fibre and polyphenol
content balances out their effect on blood
sugar and explains the low-GI factor.One large orange has around 18 per cent
of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)
of fibre. Additionally, that same orange
delivers 100 per cent of the RDI for vitamin C.
Thiamine and folate are both types of vitamin
B, contributing to many essential functions
within the body including energy production,
nervous system regulation and circulation.
Potassium-rich oranges may also lower blood
pressure in those experiencing high blood
pressure. Potassium also reduces the risk of
heart disease, a major problem in Australia.Australian oranges — the challenges
and triumphs
Citrus is particularly susceptible to
diseases that can infect nursery trees,
resulting in significant reduction in the yield
of edible and quality fruit. Regular testing iscarried out to ensure nurseries are free of
exocortis and other transmissible viruses.
Fruit flies also pose a risk to growers —
Australia has more than 80 species. Fruit
fly larvae damage fruit internally, causing
premature ripening and rot. This is why
there are laws against carrying fresh fruit
without a permit into areas of New South
Wales, Victoria and South Australia so
as to avoid the risk of introducing hidden
fruit fly eggs or maggots. The majority of
outbreaks are caused through travellers
bringing infested fruit into exclusion zones.
There’s an on-the-spot fine of $200. Drivers
entering exclusion zones and ignoring
roadside warning signs who are caught
carrying fresh fruit face fines ranging from
$200 to $20,000.Orange varieties
Just over 70 years ago, Orange World
opened a fully operational citrus orchard.
Mario Mammone, along with his wife,
Maria, run the operation today.
“Navels and Valencia are the two
different types of oranges produced in the
orchard,” Mario says.
“There are quite a lot of different types
of navel oranges such as the Leng navel,
Thompson, Washington, M7, Salustiana,
Navellina and Ryan. There are also the red
Navels such as the Moro, Tarrocco, theArnold Blood orange and the latest red (^) Photography: Getty
Despite their sugar content,
oranges have a low
glycaemic index (GI) of 31–51.
This makes them an ideal
snack, which won’t spike the
blood sugar and leave people
hungry again soon after.
118 | EatWell
MEET THE MAKER
orange growers
EWL026_118-119 Meet Maker Oranges-PR.indd 118EWL026_118-119 Meet Maker Oranges-PR.indd 118 8/1/2019 11:17:43 AM8/1/2019 11:17:43 AM
Delicious oranges
Thelargestexport of fresh produce, Australian citrus is highly valuable to our economy and to our
farmingandagriculture industry. With an annual export quantity of 120,000 tonnes, there’s
great demand for the quality and reliability of fresh Australian oranges.
Words
/
Cat Woods
A
ccordingtoCitrusAustralia, the
productionofcitrusbegan in this
countryin 1787withthe First Fleet
introducingplantations of lemons,
limes,oranges,grapefruitand mandarins to
Sydney.Theclimate,withdryand hot summers
andrainywinters,resultedin dependably
flavour-packedandrichlycoloured fruit. Now,
morethan28,000hectaresofcitrus belong to
1900 growerswithinfivemajor regions.
ThefivemainregionsthatCitrus Australia
highlightsasmajororangeproducers are the
MurrayValley,Riverina,Queensland, South
AustraliaandWesternAustralia.
A whopping 40 percentofAustralian citrus
is processedintojuice.Themost popular
juicingvarietyis Valencia,which has a sweeter
flavourprofile.Juicethatis produced locally is
labelledwithan“AussieGrown” endorsement
logoorlabelled“ProductofAustralia”.
Nutritionalvalue
Orangesarepackedfulloffibre, vitamin
C,thiamine,folateandantioxidants.
They’relowincalories,being mostly
naturalsugarsandwater.Despite their
sugarcontent,orangeshave a low
glycaemicindex(GI)of31-51. This makes
themanidealsnack,whichwon’t spike the
bloodsugarandleavepeople hungry again
soonafter.Thehighfibreand polyphenol
contentbalancesouttheireffect on blood
sugarandexplainsthelow-GI factor.
Onelargeorangehasaround 18 percent
oftheRecommendedDailyIntake(RDI)
offibre.Additionally,thatsameorange
delivers 100 percentoftheRDIforvitaminC.
Thiamineandfolatearebothtypesofvitamin
B,contributingtomanyessentialfunctions
withinthebodyincludingenergyproduction,
nervoussystemregulationandcirculation.
Potassium-richorangesmayalsolowerblood
pressureinthoseexperiencinghighblood
pressure.Potassiumalsoreducestheriskof
heartdisease,a majorprobleminAustralia.
Australianoranges—thechallenges
andtriumphs
Citrusis particularlysusceptibleto
diseasesthatcaninfectnurserytrees,
resultinginsignificantreductionintheyield
ofedibleandqualityfruit.Regulartestingis
carriedouttoensurenurseriesarefreeof
exocortisandothertransmissibleviruses.
Fruitfliesalsoposea risktogrowers—
Australiahasmorethan 80 species.Fruit
flylarvaedamagefruitinternally,causing
prematureripeningandrot.Thisis why
therearelawsagainstcarryingfreshfruit
withouta permitintoareasofNewSouth
Wales,VictoriaandSouthAustraliaso
astoavoidtheriskofintroducinghidden
fruitflyeggsormaggots.Themajorityof
outbreaksarecausedthroughtravellers
bringinginfestedfruitintoexclusionzones.
There’sanon-the-spotfineof$200.Drivers
enteringexclusionzonesandignoring
roadsidewarningsignswhoarecaught
carryingfreshfruitfacefinesrangingfrom
$200to$20,000.
Orangevarieties
Justover 70 yearsago,OrangeWorld
openeda fullyoperationalcitrusorchard.
MarioMammone,alongwithhiswife,
Maria,runtheoperationtoday.
“NavelsandValenciaarethetwo
differenttypesoforangesproducedinthe
orchard,”Mariosays.
“Therearequitea lotofdifferenttypes
ofnavelorangessuchastheLengnavel,
Thompson,Washington,M7,Salustiana,
NavellinaandRyan.Therearealsothered
NavelssuchastheMoro,Tarrocco,the
ArnoldBloodorangeandthelatestred Photography: Getty
Despite their sugar content,
oranges have a low
glycaemic index (GI) of 31–51.
This makes them an ideal
snack, which won’t spike the
blood sugar and leave people
hungry again soon after.
118 | EatWell
MEET THE MAKER
orange growers