Post-Harvest Handling, Grading and Marketing of Greenhouse Produce
This domain tests the chain from harvest to market: maturity, precooling, grading, packaging and cold storage. Greenhouse produce is premium only if quality is protected after harvest.
Handling rules
- Harvest at the correct maturity: tomato at breaker to pink for distant markets, capsicum at full colour, strawberry at full red for local sale.
- Remove field heat quickly; precool and maintain a cold chain.
- Typical storage ranges: tomato 10–12°C, capsicum 7–10°C, strawberry 0–2°C; avoid chilling injury where relevant.
- Grade by size, colour, firmness and defects; use clean, vented packaging with correct count and label.
- Keep ethylene-producing produce away from ethylene-sensitive crops; avoid rough handling and overstacking.
Worked example
Tomatoes for a Pune supermarket are harvested at full red and stacked in the sun before transport. Reasoning: full red softens quickly and field heat accelerates ripening and decay. Better: harvest at breaker/pink, shade the crates, precool to about 12°C, grade by size and colour, and deliver in vented crates. The price premium depends on consistent grading, not just greenhouse origin.
Traps that cost marks
- Harvesting all fruit at one colour for a distant market.
- Leaving produce in the sun or in a closed vehicle.
- Mixing grades and losing repeat buyers.
- Storing ethylene-producing fruit with leafy greens or flowers.