Well, hopefully in about a year's time, middle class Cariocas who like to squeeze 'em into juice...
Here's Marco, testing the oranges for, erm, orangeyness, a couple of weeks ago at our plantation in Palmital.
They are looking really big and healthy, precocious even, and full of plumptiousness, which is a good thing.
The whole landscape seems quite different, now it's inundated with thick bushy trees, instead of wimpy plantlets.
We now have a Dept. of Agriculture inspector who visits every few weeks, and offers advice.
Very helpful.
If we stick to poo as fertiliser, we can be certified organic.
Well, not us, the oranges, obviously.
Although, personally, I never use anything else...
Oranges, typo Seleta, probably a bit sour this year, so not a saleable harvest, but looking good for next year.
Brasilian farmers tend to plant orange trees and leave them until they are harvestable, without tending them, and the resulting trees, if they survive, tend to yield 3.5 boxes of fruit per tree.
Because ours are continuously tended with medicines, fertiliser, water etc.(we have 3 full-time staff, 2 of whom live onsite, plus tractor with water tanker etc.) it's reasonable to expect a much higher yield. However even at the low figure based on 3.5 boxes per tree, I look to profit around 40% per annum on my investimento.
All I gotta do is wait, and survive on bugger all in the meantime!!
As a result of which, I also have some more immediate ventures under way...see below...
