Farmers Are Harvesting Millions Of Tons Of Fruit And Vegetable From The 2024 Crop

to keep up with the growing demand from both  local and international markets Farmers all over the world have to come up with large scale  methods for harvesting and processing crops helping to supply millions of tons of produce  for the world every year around 60 million tons of mangoes are produced worldwide making it  one of the most popular tropical fruits mango trees have a long lifespan giving Farmers a  steady source of income over many years once established well-maintained mango Orchards  can continue to produce high quality fruit for a long time mango trees start bearing  fruit after around 6 years the yield of a mango Orchard can range from 3 to 9 tons per acre  with an average of 400 to 600 mangoes per tree harvesting is done when one of the mangoes reaches  the right size and color for the market mangoes will continue to ripen after being picked so  farmers usually Harvest them while they're still green and firm allowing them to reach distant  markets the best time to harvest mangoes is early in the morning or late in the evening when  the temperature is cooler and the fruit is less likely to get damaged farmers use a pole with  a net to pick the mangoes ensuring that they don't fall and Bruise they leave a bit of stem on  the fruit which helps it to stay fresh for longer mango trees can grow between 30 to 40 ft tall  making harvesting tricky farmers use ladders or equipment to reach the fruit at the very top of  the tree each mango is picked by hand and placed in trays all the harvested mangoes are kept in the  shade under trees while waiting for transport next Farmers load mangoes onto trucks and take them to  the packing area at the packing facility mangoes are called to remove field heat and lower their  temperature to the desired level helping to extend their shelf life sorting is done using various  tools like mango grading machines categorize the fruit by size and other color sensors that  measure ripeness packing and transporting the mangoes are critical stages requiring careful  handling to avoid reducing the fruits market value stored at a temperature of 9 to 10° C mangoes  can maintain that quality for up to 21 days mangoes are a rich source of vitamins minerals  antioxidants and fiber this value able fruit is widely exported to International markets giving  Farmers the chance to tap into the global trade opportunities in 2023 Global grae Production  reached 28. 4 million tons with China and the US leading the world California is famous for  its wine and the excitement that comes with harvest season the warm Autumn months bring ideal  weather for grape harvesting by August the grapes begin to ripen the most noticeable sign is the  color change across the vineyard green grapes turn yellow sometimes even red while red grapes shift  to a deep purple at this stage The Grapes also increase in size and become softer grape Harvest  typically begins 30 to for 70 days after the fruit is set during this period we see an increase  in sugar content and a decrease in acidity within the fruit harvesting begins early in the  morning with workers picking row by row most wine grapes are best harvested around 22 to 24 bricks  handpicking can often yield better results skilled workers carefully cut each cluster and place them  into containers while removing any sunburned or rotten grapes Vineyards that opt for handpicking  usually prioritize quality over quantity at the winery the grapes are separated from the stems  and leaves to prevent any bitterness during fermentation next comes the crushing process using  the mechanical presses the grapes are then left to rest and fermentation begins within 6 to 12  hours converting all the sugar into alcohol in regions with particularly hot climates Farmers  often Harvest grapes at night in the cooler conditions Pickers can ensure that all the grapes  are at the same temperature wine makers in warmer areas typically pick grapes at night to preserve  their Aroma and prevent spontaneous fermentation high quality grapes harvested this way lead  to better wine lower energy costs and higher efficiency Farmers start sewing eggplant seeds  indoors around 10 weeks before the last frost date the seed leags will grow when the soil  temperature reaches 60° F Farmers plant them with a maximum spacing of 24 in between plants  and 2 to 3 ft between rows eggplants thrive in nutrient Rich well- drained soil mulching can  help eggplants grow strong in the spring adding bright colored straw mulch in the summer helps to  reduce heat buildup eggplants prefer soil with a pH of 6. 5 and need 1 to 2 in of water each week  eggplants can be harvested around 70 days after sewing they can quickly become overripe and  bitter so check them every 1 to 2 days to see if they're ready overall the best time to harvest  eggplants is from Midsummer onwards around July to September when the skin of the eggplant is  shiny and smooth they are ready for Harvest Farmers cut a section of the fruit stem it's  important to handle the eggplants gently during Harvest as they can be easily bruised careful  selection is crucial to ensure that only the best eggplants move on to the next stage once the  baskets are full workers transport them to the Sorting area here the eggplants are carefully  arranged and sorted harvesting eggplants can take several days to a few weeks and regular  harvesting helps increase yield like cucumbers eggplants are very sensitive to temperature  when temperatures drop below 50° f it can damage their texture and flavor eggplants can typically  be stored for 1 to 2 weeks after harvest as long as they are kept properly at processing facilities  eggplants are turned into delicious products they are cut into bite-sized pieces seasoned  fried and combined with sauces to create rich flavors watermelon Vines spread 6 to 8 ft  within 30 days after 2 months the first watermelons will appear finally the crop is  ready for Harvest within around 3 months due to varying pollination times not all watermelons  ripen at the same time as a result Farmers often need to harvest the same field multiple times one  team of workers goes ahead to cut the watermelon from The Vines then turns them over to indicate  that they are ready a second team of workers then collects the cut watermelons from behind they  form a watermelon conveyor line and load the melons onto trucks for packing Farmers must be  extremely careful not to scratch or damage the fruit to avoid skin abrasions and rot harvesting  is done only in dry weather after harvesting Farmers place the Watermelons with a bottom side  down to prevent sunburn they are carefully placed in trucks lined with soft fabric and dry grass or  straw at the bottom temperature control between 10 to 16° cus helps keep the watermelons in the  best conditions and extends their shelf life sugar cane farming provides over 19,000 jobs and  nearly 4.

$ 7 billion annually to the economy in southeast Asian countries sugarcane is grown  by local farmers on small plots of land and harvested using traditional methods farmers  use hand knives or cutting blades for manual harvesting this requires skilled labor improper  harvesting can lead to a reduced sugar yield and problems during the Milling process typically  farmers will harvest a crop every every 3 to 5 years after harvesting the sugar cane is  bundled together the farmers then transport the bundles to the train once the train is fully  loaded it departs for the sugar processing plant sugar cane is chopped into smaller pieces before  being crushed then put in large roller mills to extract the juice the juice is processed  to remove impurities through coagulation and sedimentation this process produces raw  sugar by separating sugar crystals from the surrounding Molasses for every 100 tons of  sugar cane produced about 12 tons of sugar are produced however most of the sugar  is produced from mechanical harvesting about 50% of the sugar cane in the US comes from  Florida the Florida sugar industry has an annual income of over $800 million with a total  economic value of over $2 billion mature sugar cane can grow up to 10 ft tall farmers use  mechanical Harvesters to collect the cane from September until January mechanical harvesting  reduces the average harvesting time from 32 hours to just 6 to 12 this increased efficiency  leads to higher yields and greater profits for Farms while only four types of corn are  cultivated across all 50 US states these varieties yield an astonishing 16 products  that are part of our daily lives the US has surpassed China to become the world's top corn  producer with 3467 million tons in 2023 this is thanks to their Advanced farming techniques and  Machinery the most familiar type to everyone is probably sweet corn renowned for its high  sugar content this imparts a delightful sweetness mechanized harvesting is common with  two main types self-propelled or tractor pull Harvesters Florida Oregon and California  are the leading producers of sweet corn collectively harvesting 13. 6 tons in 2022  sweet corn is typically harvested when the kernels are still young and tender the Harvest  to cuts the portion of the stalk containing the ears which is subsequently removed by either  a harvesting machine or manually in Florida sweet corn cultivation spans over 37,000 000  Acres with a harvest season extending from October to June however the exact Harvest timing  varies among Farmers due to differing elevation levels across the state this influences planting  schedules in some states hand harvesting Remains the preferred method for sweet corn as it allows  for more precise selection of marketable ears this harvesting method is often practiced in corn farms  in Florida California and Georgia field sorting also reduces the need for culling at the packing  house ensuring a quicker transition to the cooling process harvested ears can be transported  to packing facilities or packed directly in the field the sugars and the tenderness of the  kernels will begin to reduce once the corn cob are off the stock so to preserve quality Farmers  rapidly cool harvested sweet corn to approximately 32° F immediately after harvest hydrocooling  a method that utilizes water to maintain a cold temperature is commonly employed this  ensures the product freshness for up to 2 weeks while sweet accounts for only 1% of us corn  acreage popcorn Reigns Supreme as a popular crop corn used for a popcorn looks skinnier than  regular corn characterized by a hard outer shell and a soft moist Center popcorn pops when  heated to temperatures between 400 and 460° F the internal moisture transforms into steam  causing the in kernel to expand in factories freshly popped popcorn is then seasoned to taste  popcorn's popularity is undeniable with over 232 million Americans indulging in this snack in 2020  this translates to approximately 14 billion quarts of popcorn popped and consumed annually to meet  up with this massive demand popcorn is primarily harvested using combines these powerful Harvesters  allow Farmers to harvest corn both during the day and night equipped with a corn head the combine  strips the ears from the stalks the ears are then fed into the machine where the kernels is shelled  from the cob and the cobs are ejected the shelled kernels are then transported to storage bins where  forced air drives them to a moisture level of 14% ideal for popping in some cases popcorn is  harvested on the ear using a corn picker which removes the ears without shelling the kernels the  corn then dries on the cob and the kernels are subsequently removed to ensure efficient popping  the kernels are graded to eliminate undersized ones Nebraska was traditionally the top popcorn  producing state but Indiana outplanted it with over 97,000 acres in 2021 however popcorn isn't  a variety of corn it belongs to the Flint corn or Indian corn family which comes in multiple  colors shades of red blue purple yellow and white while sweet corn and Flint corn have  their distinct uses what about the corn that forms the foundation of the Mexican delicacy  torers welcome to Iowa the land of flower corn this state produced 2. 3 billion bushels of corn  in 2020 about 16.