We recently visited the Blue Skies Papaya farm to assess the crop and look at ways of improving the maturity levels at the factory and for whole fruit exports.
The focus over the last year has been to grow an improved crop and we believe we have been very successful in doing so. We grow the Solo variety and have used improved seed, with good irrigation and fertiliser regimes to ensure more robust internal flesh quality that delivers good looking and great tasting fruit.
We have now tasked ourselves to improve the harvesting selection in order to give a better maturity level so that either whole fruits can be sold as “tree ripe”, or so that fruit going to the factory can be more easily ripened to give a more superior eating quality.
Its all about skilful selection at the farm during harvesting. Getting the right level of yellow coloration in the skin depending on the final use of the fruit, be it for cutting up or for whole head sales.
Ernest (Blue Skies Chief Agronomist) can be seen above reviewing the skin colours and internal flesh colour of different fruits. Eric (Farm Manager) is pictured below showing us the perfect internal colour for a papaya to go to the fresh cut factory.
Pictured below: Fruits are identified and tweaked off the tree with a long pole. The dislodged fruit falls down and is caught by hand. Precise eye hand coordination and gentle care are needed at all times.
By Guy Murfitt, Procurement Director, Blue Skies