ABOUT US

Our business began in the 70's by an agricultural farmer and entrepreneur Custódio Mendonça Ruivo. He bought several properties in the Faro and Tavira districts, focusing mainly on the cultivation of citrus fruits.

We currently cultivate peach, apricot and nectarine trees. We have one of the largest citrus tree production companies in the Eastern Algarve. Our business is responsible for production and annual sales of around 5 000 tonnes of citrus fruit.

Custódio Mendonça Ruivo is a dynamic and versatile man, as well as a committed businessman always aspiring for bigger and better goals. He works with his two sons, giving his business a family feel; his vision has prepared us for new challenges, with a recent investment in the processing and packaging at the main fruit factory.

We now own a covered area of 700m², with highly advanced automatic machinery used in the preparation and calibration of the product with two selectors and eighteen fruit output slots, resulting in increased profitability and efficiency in processing and shipping.

We have 20 full time employees and an Agronomist providing continuous technical guidance. All employees and operators follow strict quality, hygiene and safety standards in the workplace.

Presently, the orchards are still young, but in a short/medium time period we foresee an increase in productivity and quality, which together with new technologies and equipment in the line of Organic Agriculture we are preparing to meet the demands of our most rigorous customers.

Our 11 properties extend over a total area of about 170ha, between the Faro and Tavira districts.Annually we produce an average of 5 000 tonnes of citrus fruit, varying between Newhall, Lane Late, Rhode, Valencia Late Oranges throughout the year and Eureka lemons during the months of November to September.

We currently supply our fruit to the major supermarket chains in Portugal, as well as have an annual contract with "LARA – Laranja do Algarve, S. A.", to supply the juice industry.

We became members of the program "Integrated Protection on Citrus Production" in 1998, noting an annual increase in citrus fruit, peach, apricot and nectarine productions with the implementation of this system.

We applied this system on all our plantations, which equipped with fully automated systems such as central pumping, filtering, fertilization and modern localized irrigation systems, has allowed us to obtain relevant increases in productivity and helped optimize our resources.

There are water-holes and reservoirs on all our properties, ensuring that during periods of water shortage our fruit get all the water they require.

In 2008 we managed to implement all the points of the "Integrated Production" system, as well as comply with good agricultural and environmental practices.

Algarve Orange is asociated with the Agricultural Cooperative "A Esperança de Moncarapacho", and since 1995 has created an integrated relationship between work, control and support under the system of "Integrated Protection and Production".