Vital inputs on Oranges

So, two years ago, Coke flew in over 10,000 saplings from Sucocitrico Cutrali, the largest producer of oranges in the world, in Brazil. Now the saplings, which were grown in a greenhouse at Jalgoan in Maharashtra, are being shifted to orchards in the state. If the pilot project works out as planned, the oranges will be used for making 100 per cent pure juices. Coke hopes that eventually it will not have to import orange concentrate as it does now from as far away as Florida in the US and Brazil to make Minute Maid Orange. It has also focused its attention on mangoes. Though mango drinks are hugely popular, only 12 per cent of the country’s produce is worth processing into pulp. So Coke has, along with Jain Irrigation, developed technology to double the productivity of mango plantations. “Instead of mango trees of 18-20 feet, we have developed trees which are only 8-10 feet. They take less land space, so we can plant double the number of trees in the same space,” says a Coke executive. The investment in this project alone is $2 million.