Cuban Citrus Industry Diversifies its Production

The Ceballos citrus industry started operating a new production line for pineapple juice as part of a program to diversify its output.

This work was completed with the setting up of a press that fell into disuse in the Isla de la Juventud municipality. The factory engineers made some improvements to the press, thus enabling them to produce plain and concentrated juices.

Domingo Escalante Pérez, assistant director of Ciego de Avila Citrus Industrial Enterprise said that over 180 tons of pineapple harvested in the Villa Clara and Matanzas provinces have already been processed.

Escalante pointed out that this equipment enables them to squeeze approximately 8 tons per hour and make full use of the fruit, while the waste is used to feed cattle, especially dairy cows.

This idea came into practice due to the growth of crop areas developed in the Ciego de Avila province, which was 268 hectares in 2008 and will be greater this year.

The first crops sown last year should start producing during the present year’s second semester.

The Ceballos industry is ready to process other fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons, tangerines, guava, mangoes and papaya amongst others.