The Australian citrus industry hopes a new quality assurance programme will provide a consistently high level of fruit to domestic markets.
Citrus Australia plans to introduce a scheme called the internal maturity standard that will set minimum taste and sugar requirements for the industry, reported the ABC.
The organisation hopes the scheme will be in place before next season’s harvest.
Citrus Australia’s marketing manager Andrew Harty told the ABC the scheme is aimed at boosting the average consumption of citrus per capita in the country.
"Citrus growers have to compete with a whole lot of food products out there, many of which are processed to very sweet, reliable, constant levels of sweetness," he said.
"We have to reach that same level of consistency and reliability.
"Every time that somebody tastes a citrus fruit, we want them to be excited by it, not disappointed."
