HARVEST
HARVEST TIME: This is a fundamental aspect of the process since it determines, to a great extent, the characteristics of the final product. Because the banana is a climacteric fruit its harvest time is defined in relation to the age of the fruit, a minimum of nine weeks, and its development, which is established in relation to the necessities of the market destination.
GATHERING: During this phase we make the first selection of the fruit since the bunches are gathered and classified according to age and grade, with an appropriate control of the cutting method and the provision of the necessary accessories for harvesting, as well as the treatment that is to be given the bunches in order to avoid mechanical damage to the fruit.
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POST-HARVEST HANDLING AND PREPARATION OF THE PRODUCT
After the bunches of bananas are gathered they are shipped to the packing plant as quickly as possible. During this process we take great care to avoid mishandling, bruising or rubbing of the fruit.
Once it arrives at the packing plant the fruit undergoes several processes in order to be prepared for its later shipment, commercialization and consumption. It is given added value when its presentation is improved, and it is formally classified according to its characteristics. At the same time an effort is made to increase its shelf life and to guard it from mechanical damage, contamination and the spread of diseases.
The process of preparation begins when the bunches of bananas arrive at the packing plant and go through the successive stages of reception and pre-selection , dehanding, selection, cleaning and cutting of hands or clusters, latex cleansing, classification, weighing, fumigation of the crowns, labeling, packing and casing which are described below.
RECEPTION AND PRE-SELECTION: This consists of the arrival of the bunches at the packing plant where we pre-select them according to the condition of the fruit they are made up of, taking into consideration the deflowering, size and general aspect of the hands and fruits. The objective is to identify and then separate the bananas that fulfill the requirements of size, grade and appearance which characterize our fruits of maximum quality from those that do not fulfill these specifications.
STRIPPING AND SELECTION: This is where the hands which make up the bunch are separated from the stalk.
This is done by cutting them with a stripping shovel, which leaves the fibrous tissue on the hands that are separated. At the same time the first selection is made. This is determined by the aspect of the fruits that make up the hands. In this stage the principal aspects to be considered are grade, shape, size, and homogeneity in appearance.
