‘Quality’ issues with fruit and vegetables

I spoke to a farmer at Allendale East today who is growing peas, lettuce and brassicas in trial plots, so far with good success.

As the only grower in the district he has to organise his own cool storage, distribution and marketing.

There have been many reports commissioned, proclaiming the potential of the South East as a horticultural district, but not much has actually been done to make it happen.

I might comment more on that later.

Meanwhile, this post is about the so-called “quality control” issues with fruit and vegetable production.

I read elsewhere that buyers reject many bananas because they are not yellow enough. A slight bruise or too green and they’re rejected, regardless of their edibility.

Wholesale buyers are very fussy about quality issues with peas.

He said 80 percent of his first trial crop was rejected for various quality reasons, many of which he believed occurred in transport.

Buyers expect the stem to be fully removed from the pod, but in doing so, pickers can inadvertently bruise the fruit (although botanically a fruit, it is treated as a vegetable in cooking).

A slight mark on the pod and it would be rejected.

I commented how consumers aren’t that fussy about peas, surely, and the grower agreed.

But wholesalers can be particularly picky, especially when supply is good and the market is effectively a monopoly.

I think it’s a terrible shame that so much food goes to waste.

One idea is that the former Mount Schank meatworks could be converted into a cold storage area and processing facility for frozen vegetables.

It just needs some political will and commercial vision.