Buyers pay for quality, and quality starts long before produce reaches the market. If you run a collection point, these are the basics we train every Arabuko aggregator on.
At the collection point
- Clean crates only. Wash and dry crates between every collection round. Never stack produce in crates that carried chemicals, fish or livestock feed.
- Off the ground. Produce should rest on pallets or clean tarpaulin — soil contact spreads microbes and moisture.
- Shade matters. Direct sun wilts vegetables in under an hour and accelerates spoilage. A simple iron-sheet or net shade preserves value.
- Hands and wounds. Wash hands before sorting; cover any cuts. One infected wound can contaminate a whole batch.
Sorting and grading
- Remove damaged and overripe pieces immediately — one rotting fruit spreads to its neighbours.
- Grade by size and ripeness so the buyer gets exactly what was promised.
- Record what was rejected and why. Patterns tell you which farmers need support.
Transport
- Load produce last, offload first. Time in a hot vehicle is the biggest quality killer.
- Never transport produce together with fuel, chemicals or livestock.
Want hands-on training for your team? Ask about our aggregator training through the Aggregator Enhancement Program.