FO Library | Doc & Demo Page

Good handling of tomatoes

Source:

https://www.accessagriculture.org/good-handling-tomatoes

Duration:

00:06:30

Year of Production:

2019

Source/Author:

Countrywise Communication

„As soon as you pick your tomatoes their quality can only ever decrease. The best you can do is to slow down the reduction of quality, by following some practices which reduce damage and harm. The key to getting good quality tomatoes to sell starts with the pickers. If they can avoid damaging the crop, we have a chance.“

Once you harvest, the quality of tomatoes decreases. Good handling during harvest and transport means a better profit.

Quality tomatoes, start with good pickers. Pick in the morning when it is still cool to control deterioration. When you harvest, pick carefully and place in baskets. Do not throw the tomatoes. Store tomatoes in the shade after picking.

Transport tomatoes

Preferably use plastic crates for transport and cover them when you using baskets to avoid damage. Avoid stacking tomatoes to save the lowest ones. Store in the shade, don‘t drop the containers on the ground and avoid contact of tomatoes with soil.

Sort them before transport to remove damaged and cracked tomatoes. Then pack them carefully. Transport at night or early morning when temperatures are low.

Harvesting time

Depends on if tomatoes are for immediate market or for distant sale. For the immediate market, harvest when they are red. For the distant market, mix both red and those that are starting to turn red.

Sequence from	Sequence to	Description
00:00	00:34	As soon as tomatoes are picked, quality decreases.This can be reduced by good practices.
00:35	01:29	Good quality starts with good pickers.
01:30	01:36	Pick early morning when it is still cool.
01:37	01:42	Keep them cool in shade after harvest.
01:43	02:21	Harvesting stage depends on time of consumption.
02:22	02:36	Pick them gently and place in crates.
02:37	02:52	Transport in plastic crates. If baskets used, cover them.
02:53	02:59	Avoid pilling tomatoes.
03:00	03:10	Store in shade, dont drop the containers and avoid soil contact.
03:11	03:37	Before transportation, sort and pack well.
03:38	03:57	Baskets cause higher damages.
03:58	04:35	Use plastic trays for less damage.
04:36	04:49	Once filled, store containers in a cool dry place.
04:50	05:39	Transporting in plastic trays attract high profits than baskets.
05:40	06:30	Summary

View external video

By clicking the following link or play button you will leave the FO Video Library and switch to an external website! We would like to see you again, so don’t forget to come back!