A zest for demand: Inside one of Egypt's massive orange factories – in pictures

For the second year in a row Egypt has stayed at the top of the list of countries exporting citrus fruits by volume

Workers sort oranges at the Mafa farms packing house in Cairo, Egypt. For the second year in a row, Egypt topped the list of countries exporting citrus fruits by volume. Getty Images

Mafa exports its oranges to 58 countries. Getty Images

An overview of the sorting process at the Mafa farms packing house. Egypt's annual exports of citrus, mainly oranges, is about 1.8 million tonnes, according to local news reports. Getty Images

Mafa has more than 2,000 full-time workers. The company also hires thousands of day labourers each year, according to news reports. Getty Images

Mafa exports between 100,000 and 115,000 tonnes of agricultural products annually. Getty Images

Oranges on an inspection belt that sorts the fruit based on imperfections. Getty Images

Mafa farms cover 24.28 square kilometres of Egypt's Beheira Governorate. Getty Images

A Mafa farms worker harvests oranges. Getty Images

A Mafa worker inspects the orange groves. The company also grows lemons, limes, grapefruit, as well as a wide range of other fruit. Getty Images

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