Despite advancements in machines that sort and grade fresh produce, most onion growers still rely on humans to sort their produce. The rationale for sticking with people over machines has to do with costs, the physical properties of onions and the effectiveness that manual sorting provides.“Optical sorting uses a computer to look inside and see if there are internal problems,” explained Delbert Bland, President and CEO of Bland Farms. “But it's really difficult to use it with onions because there's so much root matter.” So, while Bland noted that they've used optical sorting in the past, they now stick to manual sorting because manual sorting has proven very effective.
“We haven't seen equipment that can do what the human eye can do,” said Bland. “There are so many different variables when dealing with onions, and, at this point, the human eye can deal with those better.” Optical sorters also require a high upfront investment, and although labor costs could rise to the point that the long-term savings from an automated approach could justify such an investment, that's not currently the case.
For more information:
Greg Smith
Bland Farms
+1 912 654 3048