Silves, Portugal, 5 Sept – Brazilian company Sucocítrico Cutrale, one of the world’s largest citrus juice companies, has bought a factory in Silves, Portugal, an official from the Algarve region’s Regional Directorate for Agriculture and Fisheries (Drapalg).

“The next orange season, which starts in a few days, and transformation into juice, will now be managed by the Brazilian company,” said Castelao Rodrigues, director of Drapalg, noting that Cutrale, which has seven factories in Brazil and has already entered the Asian market, had found a gateway for investment in Europe in the Algarve.

Cutrale, a family-owned company considered by US magazine Forbes as being amongst the world’s top 500 companies, has 45,000 hectares of citrus groves in Brazil and 20,000 hectares in California.

The acquisition of the orange juice factory in Silves is, “extremely important” for the region, said Castelão Rodrigues, noting that the Brazilian business owners had already said they were interested in investing in the small industry in Silves.

Algarve citrus fruits remain one of the most important agricultural sectors for the southern Portuguese region, which each year produces around 300,000 tonnes of oranges and lemons. (macauhub)