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MECHANICAL HARVESTING SYSTEMS FOR THE FLORIDA CITRUS JUICE INDUSTRY

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  021108,  2002 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.11219) @2002
Authors:   G. K. Brown
Keywords:   Labor Productivity, mechanical harvest, harvest cost, citrus

Florida harvests 95% of its 245,000 ha of oranges for processing into juice. Until recently, all fruit were hand harvested. The supply of workers is decreasing and harvest cost is increasing. Harvest cost must be reduced about 50% to effectively compete in free-trade markets. The Florida growers are funding a Harvesting Program to develop new harvesting technologies. Eight mechanical harvesting systems that are emerging for commercial use are described. About 6,000 ha were mechanically harvested during the 2001-2002 season, and the total should increase every year.

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