Desert Star

TOMATOES ON THE VINE

1.Supply

We usually transplant the first fields in September. The beginning of our export starts at mid November. The first harvest is slow, but once more levels of the plant enter the production stage, quantities and factors of quality improve.

All our fields are authorized for the U.S.A market.

Table 7. Arrival time – Pallets per week

Size	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
M	2	4	5	8	34	15
L	8	17	20	13	13	15

2. Variants

Most of our tomato varieties have been bred with special emphasis on vine ripening, firmness and shelf life. The two main variants suitable for vine harvest are the 144 and the 2536.

Table 8. Distribution of the harvest ( % of the total volume).

	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
144,2536	5	10	25	25	30	5

144 – The main growing variety, very popular for its good taste, medium size in the beginning of the season but later in the season gains weight and diameter, long shelf life, fruits remain firm,3-5 fruits on a bunch, TSS- 5%. Average weight 105 -150g. At the beginning of the season they are very good for the U.S. market.

2536 – The main export variety for Europe market. Keeps its Medium size all throughout the season.4-6 fruits on a vine, average weight 85-115gr. TSS- 4.5%, Very firm fruit, long shelf life.

1. Size

In general the two varieties start with good size for the U.S. and the European market and later in the season 144 is good only for the local market and the 2536 are good only for the European market.

Table 6. Size changes through the season. (Shown in %)

Variety	Size	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
144	M	20	20	20	40	50	50
	L	80	80	80	60	50	50
2536	M	40	50	50	50	50	50
	L	60	50	50	50	50	50

Size specifications: Size M 47 – 57 mm.

Size L 57 – 67 mm.

Size XL 68 – Up.

2. Post harvest

We start the harvest at sunrise and finish at 10 o’clock, before it gets very hot. The harvested fruit are taken to a cool humid packing house where bunches are only brushed to remove the desert dust before they are rearranged in a carton. We trim them to form a bunch of 3 – 5 tomatoes with no more then 3 color grades between the first to the last one. The bunches in the bottom layer are facing up and the fruits in the upper layer are facing down with a paper divider between the two layers.

3. Packaging

Packed in a 5 kg cartons. There are 140 cartons on a pallet. The bunches are packed in 2 layers that are facing each other with a thin paper layer in between to protect the fruits.