Top tips and tricks for harvest plan management
After spending a long year cultivating and nurturing your crops, it’s nearly time to - quite literally - harvest the fruits of your labour. But with every harvest comes the daunting task of creating an effective harvest plan and managing it efficiently.
Luckily we’re here with a few tips and tricks to help you optimise time management, maximise yields and just generally help this busy season run a bit more smoothly.
Here are a few pointers to help plan your harvest this year:
The early bird gets the worm
Plan as soon as you can to yield the best results and be prepared for any surprises. Assess available space, necessary machinery and required labour and factor in any unexpected weather changes.
Get the timing right
Keep a close eye on colour, texture, and firmness of your crops as the time approaches and make sure you harvest in order based on peak ripeness. You’ll also want to prioritise the harvest above all else so make sure you’re free to dedicate all your resources!
Have a contingency plan
Even the best-laid plans can go awry due to the weather or other unfavourable conditions, so it’s always beneficial to have a backup plan. Whether it’s having extra storage, allowing additional time in case of rain or preparing for late-ripening crops, it’s never not a good idea to have a Plan B ready.
Make use of practical tools
Harvest planning tools such as GPS tracking and satellite imagery can make the busy harvest period much easier. Hectare Inventory lets you view your crops and stores in real-time before and during harvest, so you’ll know exactly what you have, where it is going and what you have left. You can even track yield adjustments against inventory records over time to better predict what you’ll have to sell!
Storage is crucial
The hard work doesn’t stop once the crops are out of the ground, of course. Regularly inspect your storage facilities and ensure they are cool, dry and free from pests. Crops start deteriorating quickly, so rapid storage in the correct conditions is essential!
If you’d like to know more about how Hectare Inventory can help you this harvest, please book a quick 15-minute with one of the team.