Farmer’s Weekly – 23 August 2019

(Kiana) #1

on the market floor


Changeis a constant.Thisis
trueofourpersonallives
andofvirtuallyevery
humanendeavour:business,
politics,thesciences,
agriculture...younameit.
I’vealwayswelcomedchange
inthefreshproducebusiness.
It notonlyoffersexciting
newopportunities,buttakes
ourindustryforward.
Ofcourse,notevery
developmentcanbeappliedby
everyfarmer,butpayingattention
tonewconceptsandmethodsand
applyingthemwhereappropriate
canenhanceboththeproduction
andmarketingoffreshproduce.

thedigitalage
I comefromtheBCera.No,
I’mnotthatold;I’mreferringto
‘BeforeComputers’.Although
I mightnotbea technological

wizard,I understandenough
toappreciatethemanybenefits
thatfarmerscangainfrom
thecorrectuseofdigitaland
othertypesoftechnology.
I readinFarmer’sWeekly, as
wellasinonlinepublications
Ireceive from around the world,
of the many new developments
available to the fresh produce
sector. These include drones that
can work wonders for farmers
and grading machines that ‘read’
the internal quality of fruit.
There are also new methods
of improving shelf life. One
new US innovation is a special
chart that provides the catering
trade with information on
avocado sizes, yields and
preparation. By referring to
the chart, a food service
facility can choose the correct
size avocado for its specific

A world of improvement

michael
cordes

purposes, thereby eliminating
waste, improving efficiencies
and reducing costs.

old objectives,
new approaches
I recall as a fruit and vegetable
farmer in the 1970s experimenting
with methods for extending
shelf-life, such as improving
packaging and offering more
attractively presented produce.
This remains the objective
today, but thanks to new
technology, the methods have
improved beyond recognition.
The fresh produce sector will
continue to embrace change
and I wonder what the years
ahead will bring. I also wonder
if anybody remembered
to tell Mother Nature!


  • Michael Cordes is an agricultural
    journalist, consultant, trainer
    and former farmer. Email him
    at [email protected].
    Subject line: Market floor. ▪fW


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