Abstract

Orange cropping has been in practice in Ribera Baixa (Valencia, Spain) for several centuries. During the past decade, orange cropping has been under severe economic stress arising from increasing competition from less-costly foreign imports. Consequently, farm-gate prices are depressed, under the regime of fixed percentage distribution of retail pricing. Orange groves are being abandoned in many instances. A practicable and sustainable solution to this persistent economic problem would require a re-structuring of the marketing system to facilitate the sales of organic products and introduction of organic growing practices for oranges as well as secondary organic tree crops.

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