Degreening: The Science That Drives the Competitiveness of Colombian Oranges

The recent history of Colombian citrus changed in 2018, when the United States officially reopened its market to our oranges following approval by the USDA and its APHIS agency. Since then, a high value commercial window opens each year between June and September, precisely when Florida faces lower production due to climate conditions and seasonality. At that moment, Colombia has the opportunity to stand out with naturally sweet, high quality fruit.

Celifrut Stands Out as a Pioneer in Degreening Colombian Oranges

In 2018, Celifrut carried out Colombia’s first export of oranges to the United States. However, we soon realized that in order to compete with giants such as Mexico, Peru, Spain, South Africa, or Morocco, we needed to solve a challenge that at first glance seemed minor, but in reality defined our competitiveness: peel color.

For the U.S. consumer, color is not just an aesthetic matter; it is an indicator that an orange is ready for consumption. Although our oranges had good sweetness, many arrived with greenish tones typical of tropical climates. On the inside they were at the ideal stage, but on the outside they gave the impression of not being ready.

Orange degreening is a postharvest process carried out in chambers with controlled temperature and humidity, along with very precise levels of a natural gas produced by the fruit itself. This process accelerates the degradation of chlorophyll that keeps the peel green, allowing the carotenoids responsible for the characteristic orange color to emerge. It is the same process that would occur on the tree, but reproduced through science and technology.

This is a technique developed since the mid 20th century in pioneering countries such as the United States and Spain, and later refined by major exporters like South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt. Although this technology was not invented in Colombia, there is a milestone that fills us with pride: Celifrut was a pioneer in its adoption and local development for Colombian citrus.

Why was it necessary to implement degreening in a tropical country?

The reasons are clear and can be explained simply. In warm regions such as the Coffee Axis, oranges can be fully sweet without their peel developing a uniform orange color. In addition, leaving the fruit on the tree for too long increases the risk of fruit fly infestation, a quarantine pest that the United States does not allow under any circumstances. Waiting for more color in the field is simply not viable.

Orange degreening becomes a technical, commercial, and phytosanitary ally. It does not modify flavor, alter firmness, or accelerate internal ripening. It simply supports a natural process that was already meant to occur.

With that purpose, our journey of innovation began. Before 2018, there were no manuals or technical references on citrus degreening in Colombia. The first attempts at our facility involved adapting technologies from other countries to local conditions. It was a path of trial and error, constant research, and many hours of work. There were fruit losses, but also learnings that today form the foundation of a robust and reliable process.

At Celifrut, we developed our own technified degreening chamber, equipped with automated sensors, electronic control panels, real-time monitoring, alarms, and standardized cycles. We moved from manual valves and fans to a modern, safe, and precise system. This allows us to deliver fruit with uniform color, reduced waste, and premium quality.

Benefits for Our Strategic Partners

For producers, this technology represents a real transformation. Previously, they had to wait weeks for the fruit to develop color, facing pest risks and delays in crop rotation. Today, they can harvest at the ideal stage, reduce phytosanitary risks, improve cash flow, and access export opportunities that were previously unavailable due to color requirements. Science provides the color, but the positive impact goes to the producer.

Furthermore, the development of our degreening technology not only raised the standard of Colombian oranges for export but also opened opportunities for other players in the sector. Today, several local marketers, whose main market is domestic, have found value in improving the color of their citrus to achieve better returns in local markets and wholesale centers. On several occasions, Celifrut has supported these processes by providing the service and degreening third-party fruit under strict technical protocols. This has allowed more producers and marketers to access visually more attractive fruit, even when it is not destined for international markets. It is a direct contribution to the regional citrus ecosystem and a demonstration of how innovation can create opportunities beyond export borders.

In the end, the story of orange degreening in Colombia is also the story of a country that found in science and collaborative work a way to prepare its fruit for the world. At Celifrut, we continue writing that story every day.