Postharvest: What is at stake?

Is it fascination with or in denial of obstination?

Okay, before you must make the effort to look the word up, which I did, it’s firmly or stubbornly adhering to one’s purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty, characterized by an inflexible persistence or an unyielding attitude; inflexibly persisted in or carried out…

There you have it. I had to look it up, as I cannot understand what could possibly drive somebody to simple not listening to tried, tested and proven philosophies and applied post-harvest technologies that are chronicled for over 60 years all over the world…

Study after study comes worldwide out with the same conclusion, every time:

“Major factors limiting table grape storage and shelf life and causing important economic losses to the industry are cluster dehydration (berry water loss and rachis browning), skin color changes, accelerated softening, and microbial spoilage, especially Gray mold decay caused by the pathogen Botrytis Cinerea.”

And every time there are more studies done and paid by the industry that prove the same, repeatedly… Why? We all know by now and what is really at stake.

We have tackled those issues, with success, for nearly 25 years now…

Mother nature never ever breaks her own laws, not yesterday, not today and not tomorrow and we know that.
Preserving quality after harvest does not come by chance, it is simple once you understand how. We do.

Apart from being implemented in the rest of the world in over 55 countries daily, we have been proving it in South Africa with South African fruit, under South African circumstances time and time again over the last 2 ½ decades.

Our postharvest gynecology philosophy works. Simple.

Yet, all kind of overnight self-proclaimed postharvest specialists pop up talking non-sense, no sense and not understanding what is at stake: the farm’s survival.

Obviously, making it worse, then selling “something” that is not right and or fit for the purpose. This will cost you far more money than investing in the right solution from the outset.

It is therefore a combination of denialism and obstination. It must be.

But it is silly, as we have proven what difference we do make if the farm has got the right mindset to change the sometimes over 40 years old cooling- and cold chain procedures and principles.

Look at these pointers:

· If you keep on doing the same things, do not expect change. Simple.

· Stop chasing the symptoms, start looking at the root causes. Simple.

· Problems last year, no changes done, equals problems this year. Simple.

· Nature never ever breaks her own laws and the problems you experience are simply due to natural processes and nature will do the same repeatedly. Simple.

· Preserving quality after harvest does not come by chance. Simple.

Fascinated with or in denial of obstination?

My advice: go and sit somewhere in a quiet corner and think long and hard about it…

Are you a true professional? Work with professionals.

Talk to me, I will gladly guide you.