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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SORTING AND PRE-SORTING?

In the fruit industry, the terms grading and pregrading (or sorting and presorting) refer to two distinct stages in the post-harvest chain.
Choosing between them depends on your storage capacity, market strategy and crop type.

Pregrading versus grading: the main differences

Feature Pre-grading (pre-sorting) Grading (final sorting)
Timing Immediately after harvest, before long-term storage (Ulo/CA). Just before the fruit is shipped to the customer/retailer.
Primairy goal Removing “trash” and sorting by size/quality for bin storage. Precise selection based on specific customer orders.
Speed High capacity; focused on bulk handling. Slower, high precision; focused on delicate handling
Storage Fruit is stored in bins by size/quality class. Fruit is packed directly into retail packaging (shrunk, trays, bags).

 

When to choose which?

1. Choose pregrading if:

  • You have large volumes: You don’t want to waste expensive controlled-atmosphere (CA) storage space on “industrial grade” fruit or rot.
  • You want flexibility: By pregrading, you know exactly how many bins of “Size 75, Class I” you have in stock. You can sell specific batches quickly when market prices peak.
  • Long-term storage is required: Removing damaged fruit early prevents the spread of fungal infections and ethylene during months of storage.

2. Choose direct grading if:

  • The fruit is highly delicate: some varieties (like certain stone fruits or apples) do not handle double-processing well. Every time you touch or move the fruit, you risk bruising.
  • You have a short sales cycle: if the fruit goes from the tree to the shop within days, a single grading/packing run is more cost-effective.

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