If planned badly, transport for fresh produce is expensive, but used properly it can become cost-effective. There are 3 factors a producer needs to adhere to when planning transport for fresh produce. Get them right and you’ll find transport isn’t the monster some people make it out to be. SELLING…
Packaging is expensive, but it’s important if you are to achieve top prices for your fresh produce. The cost of packaging can be frightening, so some farmers turn to cheaper alternatives, such as second-hand containers. Like the Eastern Cape farmer who does the rounds of all the fruit and veg…
Effective branding can make or break your products. Here’s how to ensure that people come back for more. HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO FRESH PRODUCE? I’ll start with the bad news: Effective branding costs a lot of money. The good news is that you can do something about it. If…
The fresh produce market as a channel offers producers several options and opportunities. These benefits drastically decrease, however, in the absence of careful planning. This article was written by Prof. A. Leonard and Dr. J. Range. Planning around marketing options realise a higher level of success, provided it’s done in…
Every fresh produce farmer must have a plan for how he’s going to sell his crops. Your marketing plan is like a road map that guides you through the steps of marketing so that you can successfully sell your fresh produce. It gives you “check points” to provide direction, measure…
Forget the high prices or the low prices – concentrate on building your average price by supplying top quality all the time, regardless of the market supply situation. Ask yourself this question, “Why is Coca Cola so successful?” There must be numerous answers, but one thing is for sure; you’ll…
It has been shown many times that people don’t mind paying more for fruit or vegetables – as long as the quality is good. Most people are familiar with the saying “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. In agriculture this could be changed slightly - to “quality is…
Knowing how to handle fruit during the production process is important, and so is understanding the basics of post-harvest plant physiology. The 3 enemies of fruit and vegetables are bad handling, time and high temperatures. Time is the critical factor in the race to extend the shelf-life of your fresh…
On a world scale, up to 33% of all perfectly good fresh produce is thrown away after harvesting. Michael Cordes discusses harvesting, handling and transport. Many farmers make the mistake of thinking that marketing fresh produce is far removed from their farming activities. They argue that they have their hands…
Good business relationships based on trust are essential, especially if you’re using a market agent. The principles below apply to any business relationship, but they’re slightly different when marketing fresh produce. Certain factors kick in right away when your market agent receives a consignment of produce from you, and they…
Good presentation is critical to the successful marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables. The 4 main activities are discussed in this article. If a farmer spends a lot of time, money and effort growing a crop with the sole intention of harvesting it and doesn’t make any effort to present…
Understanding the supply chain and how it works, so you can optimise every “link”, is the key to successful fresh produce marketing. The process of moving fresh produce from farm to retail shelf is called the fresh produce supply chain, the cold chain (in some cases), or the logistics chain.…
Small-scale fresh produce growers tend to plant first and look for a market afterwards. This can be risky. It is important to locate the target market and establish the degree of competition before you put the crop in so that your rewards can be fully reaped with your harvest. Decide…
When you as a farmer wants to move the territories outside of your farm gate to sell your produce, the right branding is the best way to build your market presence. A poor brand will spoil your entire marketing effort, even if you have a well packaged, top-quality product. There…
