Packing services

Piketko offers a packing service that is structured around the requirements of the client, who can be the individual producer or the export agent. Features of the packing service include:

• Types of fruit:  Apples, pears, soft citrus and oranges

• Producer-specific packing:  Fruit from individual producers are always packed separately and recorded as such. The advantages of this are:

  • Every producer will get his actual production and be rewarded accordingly

  • Producers with superior quality are rewarded accordingly

  • The end user can trace the origin of the fruit back to the farm and even to an individual orchard.

• Cooling:  Upon delivery to Piketko, apples and pears are immediately placed in forced air cooling tunnels and brought down to -0.5 °C within 24 hours. If it cannot be packed immediately after that, it is stored at a temperature of -0.5 °C. The advantages of this are minimum moisture loss, and very little quality loss due to prolonged high fruit temperatures.

• Graded packing:  Up to three export grades can be packed simultaneously. In addition to that, a local class can be added.

• Skilled packers:  Piketko has highly skilled packers and sorters, some with as much as 17 years’ experience of fruit packing, and none with less than 3 years’ experience.

• HACCP accreditation:  Fruit are packed in a HACCP-accredited packing installation and HACCP-accredited procedures and processes are applied.

• Volumes:  Piketko is willing to accommodate producers or exporters with smaller volumes on the same basis as producers or exporters with larger volumes.