Packaging is convenient for handling, transporting and storing tomatoes. It protects against pathogens, natural predators, loss of moisture, temperatures, crushing, deformation of tomatoes and bruising. It also has an aesthetic function. Fresh tomatoes are often packed without stems. Mature green mature tomatoes can be stacked on top of one another in a package, since they are firm, but remember that not too many must be packed all at once, or the tomatoes at the bottom of the package will be deformed or bruised due to excessive weight on top of them. In all cases it is a good idea to use padding material at the bottom of packages and in between layers of tomatoes. Packaging material is expensive, in terms of total costs, and must not be wasted. Some of the most common packaging materials: ? large green leaves ? clay pots ? baskets ? wooden crates ? cardboard crates ? cardboard boxes ? glass bottles or jars ? plastic bottles ? tin cans It may be possible to form formal or informal associations with other farmers to organise packaging operations.
7.2
Storage
Storing tomatoes in tropical and subtropical climates can be difficult without cold storage. Sometimes fast marketing is the only solution. Tomatoes that are to be sold fresh for table consumption must not be stored for long. Tomatoes that have been processed, for example into
Post harvest handling
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