Farm Management
Post-Harvest Storage and Handling: The Basics
Protect harvested produce through timely shade, careful sorting, clean containers and crop-appropriate storage.
A successful crop can lose quality quickly if produce is left in heat, handled roughly or stored without sorting. Post-harvest planning should begin before picking.
The first handling matters
Harvest at suitable maturity and during a cooler part of the day where practical. Move produce into shade promptly and avoid unnecessary dropping, compression or exposure.
Sort before storage
- Remove damaged or diseased items.
- Separate produce by maturity and intended use.
- Use clean containers with suitable ventilation.
- Avoid packing wet produce unless the crop requires it.
- Keep produce away from fuel, chemicals and animals.
Let the crop determine storage
Leafy crops lose moisture quickly. Fruits differ in temperature and handling needs. Root crops may require different cleaning or curing methods. Avoid applying one storage rule to every harvest.
Record harvest time, quantity, rejected produce and storage losses. These notes reveal whether the problem began in the field, during handling or after storage.