Treatment Of Residues

All peel and excess pulp is either released to local cattlemen to use as feed supplement or is sent to the compost operation.
In a fifty hectare area, well removed from local communities and surrounded by nature, Del Oro has developed state of the art infrastructure, using the most advanced technology available, to produce compost.

Compost Production

Approximately 50% of the weight of an orange is comprised of its rind, pulp and seeds. All of these are candidates for recycling as compost. This material is transported carefully to the compost area, located roughly 10 kilometers from the processing plant.

The Pulp Is Deposited In Windrows

During the dry season, the pulp delivery trucks from the plant deposit the pulp in windrows in the compost areas. In order to initiate the composting process, calcium carbonate and rice husks are added to improve the ph and ventilation of the material. This is periodically mixed with specialized machinery during the weeks of curing in the compost piles. Also during this time, temperature readings are taken to assure that the microorganisms responsible for the programmed decomposition are active and carry out the composting process.

In the rainy season, the material is stored in special silos, constructed according to international standards. Each area of compost production is surrounded by special ditches or channels to gather any, liquid runoff. Del Oro conducts chemical analyses of the waters of the gorge and river nearby the property as a control measure to assure that there has been no degradation stemming from the compost operation, and compost samples are periodically sent to specialized laboratories to assure their quality prior to reincorporate in the farms.

The Compost Is Reincorporated Into The Soil As A Fertilizer Substitute

When the process of composting is finished, the product is transported in special delivery trucks back to nearby farms where it is reincorporated into the soil as a fertilizer substitute.