Eosta ships first Peruvian Raingrown oranges to Europe

Leading European organic produce distributor Eosta imported the Peruvian-grown Jucy Gold Organic Raingrown oranges to the old continent, marking the first time the citrus variety is available to buyers in the region. 

The Dutch importer and marketer says the market’s response has been positive so far. Fruit shipments arrived the first week of August (week 32), and the company’s plans are to continue sending one container shipment per week for the remainder of the import season.

The oranges are grown by Kivinaki’s fairtrade-certified cooperative of small and medium-scale farmers in the Chanchamayo Valley, Peru. The collective is mainly composed of growers who, after the coffee rust outbreak of 2013, began growing the orange variety. 

Photo courtesy of Eosta

Raingrown oranges have a 45 percent juice content, and experts consider it a sustainable alternative to irrigated citrus, as it’s 100 percent rain-grown. The fruit is also pretty to look at, with a golden-yellow skin and green tinge that the company says is the result of warm nights and minimal temperature fluctuation in the growing region. 

Peke van Beek, Senior Product Manager at Eosta, says he believes fruit will stand out in the European market thanks to its origins, irrigation-less growing methods, and visual appeal.

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