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 16.1% of the total us production today the United States is the largest corn producer globally dedicating roughly 96 million acres to Corn cultivation and exporting approximately 38% of the world's total corn exports prior to Milling harvested kernels are typically dried in silos to a moisture content of around 15% these dried kernels undergo a cleaning and Grading process passing through screens and sees to separate them by size and quality subsequently the clean kernels are ground into a fine powder using a series of rollers or Mills the resulting ground material is sifted to separate the flour from larger particles and brand finally corn flour is packaged in bags to prevent contamination and maintain freshness at this Korean corn snack Factory cornflour is steamed and pressed into a long thin layer then machine or cut it into strips which are then fried in this autot turning machine the fried corn strips are then seasoned with syrups and cooled down for packaging corn flour is frequently used as a glutenfree alternative to wheat flour so far we've explored corn as a food source but what about the corn that farmers will plant to produce future crops that's where Seed corn or field corn comes in as the most widely cultivated corn type in the US Seed corn occupies approximately 90 million acres and is a familiar site along the American roadways handp Pickers can never come close to these combine Harvesters because they can pass through 10 acres in an hour this equals roughly around 300, ,000 years per hour the harvested corn is then transported to processing facilities to prepare for the upcoming planting season one of the most common types of seed corn is Dent corn which gets its name from The Dent or dimple that forms on the top of each kernel when it starts drying out it is primarily used for livestock feed and cornmeal a staple in southern us cuisine often used when making grits and hush puppies for livestock feed Farmers harvest the entire corn plant including stalks leaves and ears this task would take a lot of time if it was done by hand so many US farmers only use huge Harvesters that can shop down 20 rows of corn at a time then they ferment it in silos to create something called cornstalk silage corn Farmers income can also come from corn cob mix together these nutritious feeds are valued at $61 a ton and provide essential vitamins and minerals for ruminants like cattle and sheep Seed corn is also processed for corn oil production approximately 2 and 1/2 to 3 lb of corn kernels are required to produce 1 L of corn oil the refined oil is filtered and packaged for distribution corn oil is an affordable source of healthy Fant with high smoke point meaning it can withstand high temperatures without breaking down or producing harmful components besides edible oil seed corn is also used to produce ethanol which is a gasoline additive or as a standalone fuel source this renewable energy source that reduces greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most significant products industrially produced from corn plants for those seeking a unique alcoholic experience corn whiskey commonly known as bourbon or Ry whiskey is a popular option the corn is ground into a mash and fermented to produce a fermented liquid this liquid is then distilled to concentrate the alcohol content the resulting distillate is aged in Oak barrels to impart flavor and color bourbon is a popular choice for cocktails and enjoyed by many whiskey enthusiasts around the world
2024-09-22 23:33
