Brazil is the top producer of oranges in the world, producing more than half of this citrus for juice processing. The Brazilian government says demand has been growing, as COVID-19 prompted people across the globe to spend more time at home.

It is reported that orange shipments from Brazil for the 12 months through June rose 17 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.

Brazil is second only to the United States in the number of confirmed infections with the coronavirus. Nearly 10 million people in the Latin American country are said to have lost their jobs, mainly in the restaurant industry. But orange farmers say they have been hiring to make up for manpower shortages.