|
|
|
In addition to news, interviews and media advisories, the FAO News and Media office is now distributing real-life stories of farmers, pastoralists, fisher folks, indigenous peoples, forest dwellers and others in the sector.
News agencies and media outlets are welcome to reproduce and reuse these stories and related photos with proper credit given. A link back to the original story is also appreciated.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tunisia’s “Queen of Oranges”
Ensuring the quality of one of the country’s most sought-after oranges
![]()
The Maltese orange, what Tunisian locals call the “Queen of Oranges”, certainly originated in Asia, but few agree on how it arrived
in Tunisia. Some say it was introduced from Spain at the beginning of the 17th century. But this doesn’t explain the appellation…
Malta lies just 284 kilometers from modern Tunisia – so the orange might have been introduced directly from here. The fruit was certainly
cultivated on the Mediterranean island in the 9th century.
In any case, the fruit became known as the ‘Maltese orange’ about 250 years ago and was celebrated in cookbooks, even inspiring the
French sauce maltaise (a derivative sauce of Hollandaise sauce with Maltese orange juice and zest). Needless to say, the orange is highly praised in Europe and beyond.
Full of benefits
The Maltese orange belongs to the Rutaceae family. It resembles a half-blood orange and is cultivated most successfully today in northeastern
Tunisia, specifically on the Cap-Bon peninsula, near the coast of Hammamet.
It is medium in size and slightly oval-shaped with an easy-to-remove peel. Inside, the flesh is tender and juicy. Its flavor is sweet
and tart, making it unique. On the tree, its orange color may turn red if exposed to too much sun.
"It is tasty and full of health benefits, especially in these times of crisis," says Fehria, a timid, middle-aged farmer from Cap-Bon,
as she cuts the stalks off oranges.
The harvesting of the Maltese orange is carried out by hand by local experts like Fehria and her colleagues.
Fehria has always worked in the agricultural sector. Picking the fruits and vegetables of her region is the main source of income for
her and her family. She first collected potatoes and artichokes and only began harvesting citrus fruits four years ago. Today, the “Queen of Oranges” is her focus, and she is proud to be associated with a product so exalted.
Maltese in name, Tunisian in production
Home to around 25 000 people, Fehria’s town of Grombalia is a lively place located in Cap-Bon.
The air in Grombalia is perfumed by the scent of orange flowers in spring and the golden color of the fruits light up the landscape
in winter, the season of their picking.
Although seasonal – from the end of December to the end of March – the picking activity provides Fehria, as well as her co-workers in
nearby orchards, with a steady income and above all decent working conditions.
"Here in the orchard, surrounded by oranges, I am in my element. But what is most important to me is that my contribution is respected
by my community and by my employer," says Fehria.
The orange groves of the Cap-Bon peninsula cover an area of approximately 14 000 hectares, where roughly half of the land is devoted
to the production of the Maltese orange.
While the Queen of Oranges reigns in terms of exports – other local varieties, such as meski, châmi or Thomson, are also cultivated
in the area.
The Cap-Bon region, which produces more than 75 percent of all citrus fruits in Tunisia, also sees the propagation of mandarin and lemon
trees – all taking advantage of the rich and fertile soil and year-round sunshine.
Quality and safety ensured
Fehria’s boss is a producer of citrus fruits for the local market and for export. He also runs an adjoining packing station where he
employs around 50 local people who wash, pack and ensure the Maltese oranges conform to quality standards.
FAO supports this packing station operation, as well as other production units, to register their fruit and vegetable production with
the national information system. This system helps farmers register their products for quality control and helps authorities distribute the results and accompanying licenses through this platform. Its efficiency paves the way for easier exports of fruits and
other agricultural products.
This is just one piece of FAO’s main activity here in Tunisia, a flagship project called Support for Official Control Services (ASCO)
funded by the European Union. ASCO provides support to ensure the health of animal and plant products and aims to modernize the country’s agricultural sector through support along the value chain. This includes building the capacity of food producers, quality
control labs and local authorities to understand and meet the quality requirements needed for export. Another important area of work is helping producers address and manage plant and animal diseases.
Partnerships with farming communities, local authorities and the private sector are important to keep these processes working well and
to allow farmers to obtain a regular income. In short, FAO helps ensure that Tunisian people have remunerative livelihoods through products like the Maltese orange, products of which they can be proud and which stand international tests of quality.
The full story and photos can be found here: https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1461052/
|
|
|
|
Media outlets are welcome to reproduce the article and related photos provided that FAO and the photographers are given credit. A link back to the original story is also appreciated. Please contact [log in to unmask] for the original photos or other information.
(+39) 06 570 53625 This email was issued by the Media Office at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
|