Before investing in pre-cooling, measure where and how long produce waits from harvest to packing. Facility sequence can vary by crop, harvest method and existing infrastructure.
For each lot, record product and cultivar, harvest date and time, field conditions, time moved to shade, collection container, loading and arrival. Note quantity and owner at each handoff.
Measure product at the same defined point and method before and after pre-cooling. Also track equipment load, process start and finish, energy or capacity constraints, and queued lots.
Trial representative loads on different harvest days. Use the records to separate delays in shade, transit, receipt, cooling cycle or packing; verify product requirements with quality.
Compare investment options only with measured volume, bottlenecks, infrastructure and waste or quality records. A generic equipment sequence does not fit every crop and operation.
