Among the main citrus producing countries in the world are: in America (Brazil, USA Argentina and Mexico); in the Mediterranean basin (Spain, Italy and Greece); South Africa Egypt and Morocco in Africa; while in Asia appear China, India and Japan.
▶ As for the world production of oranges for the 2013/2014 cycle amounted to 68,925.2 tons, reporting Brazil as the largest producer with 16,850.0 tons, followed by China and the United States with 7,600.0 and 6,783.0 tons (FAO, 2015).
According to the Confederación de Asociaciones de Productores Agropecuarios de Cítricos in for 2015 Venezuela obtained a production of 429,296 tons this in a total of 30,402 ha cultivated resulting in a yield per ha of 14,121 kg/year.
The edaphic and climatic requirements of citrus, in terms of optimum temperature is 23 ºC to 32 ºC, in which the plant develops all its activity. The most important limiting factor is the minimum temperature, since it does not tolerate temperatures below -3 ºC.
Citrus trees do not tolerate frost, as they suffer both flowers and fruits as well as leaves that may disappear completely. It does not require cold hours for flowering. High night temperatures favor the permanence of the green color in orange fruits. The influence of temperature is great in citrus fruits, mainly in their collaboration, sugar content and acidity.
Water requirements can range from 1,500 to 2,500 mm per year; regions with rainfall above 3,500 mm are considered marginal. High relative humidity favors the development of fungal diseases.
