Fruit harvest handling: picking, shading and packing

Good fruit can be lost in a few hours of careless handling. The habits below cost little and protect the price you get.

Habits that protect fruit

• Pick in the cool of the morning, not at midday.
• Pick at the right maturity for the distance to market.
• Use clean baskets or crates lined with leaves or paper, never loose heaps.
• Move picked fruit into shade immediately.
• Do not stack crates so high that the bottom layer is crushed.

Sorting and packing

Remove damaged and overripe fruit before packing so it does not spoil the rest. Pack one size and one ripeness per crate, which makes grading and pricing easier for the buyer.

Transport

Load crates so that air can pass through the stack, and keep the load out of direct sun. Short, early journeys keep fruit firmer and more valuable on arrival.