FRESH, sweet and juicy Australian oranges are now in season, and they’re available in the Philippine market!
To announce this, the Australian Embassy, in partnership with Citrus Australia and the Victorian Government, launched Australian Oranges—Now in Season via a special ‘afternoon tea’ at Bondi & Bourke in Makati City.
Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell and Anthony Weymouth, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Australian Trade Commission, were joined by Citrus Australia’s market access manager David Daniels. Daniels came straight from Australia to explain just how safe and healthy Australian oranges are because of the world-class food safety standards and innovative traceability systems that the country has put in place for its citrus farmers and exporters.
Australian oranges are fresh, sweet and juicy because of the growing conditions in the Land Down Under. There is a desert with a very big river going through, thus providing harsh conditions in summer and very cold weather during winter that give Australian oranges their depth of flavor and sweetness. This naturally harsh environment makes it possible for farmers to grow oranges with very little chemicals, if not none at all, because very little pests are able to survive this environment. These premium oranges turn out to be naturally sweet and are safe to eat, too.
Australia also has a very efficient shipping system that makes it possible to get freshly picked oranges shipped to Manila in 20 days’ time, and the oranges are kept in refrigerated containers so they arrive fresh, juicy and healthy.
During the launch, three Australian-born celebrities—TV personality and actress Iya Vilania, professional rugby player and Philippine Volcanoes member Chris Everingham, and Filipino-Australian singer-actress cast member of the popular Australian children’s TV show Hi-5 Fely Irvine—shared their childhood memories of enjoying Australian oranges.
Iya, who was born and raised in Australia, enjoyed freshly squeezed orange juice all the time during her childhood years in Australia. She had to adjust to the fact that when she got to Manila, she could not enjoy fresh orange juice as often.
As for Chris Everingham, he remembers his mom hand-squeezing oranges for his juice once or twice a week. In the summer, she would make icy cups by pouring orange juice into cups and freezing them, so that when Chris brings it to school, it is still cold.
Fely, who grew up in the South of Australia, used to do 10-kilometer walkathons in school and she would have slices of fresh oranges at pit stops.
Iya, Chris and Fely also joined forces with Bondi & Bourke’s Chef Wade Watson and did cooking demos featuring the favorite orange dishes of the three—Beef with Orange and Tomatoes for Iya, Grilled Chicken Garden Salad for Chris, and Grilled Chicken with Honey and Orange Sauce for Fely.
This season, Australia enjoys a bumper crop, so large volumes of Australian oranges will make their way to supermarkets in the Philippines.
