The Economic Feasibility of Adopting Mechanical Harvesters by the Highbush Blueberry Industry

Abstract

Mechanical harvesters engineered for fresh-market highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) have the potential to relieve the burden associated with relying on human labor for harvesting a crop. However, such devices must be effective and maintain fruit quality to be economically viable. Results from an empirical economic model and a series of sensitivity analyses signal that shortening the gap between prices for the fresh and processing market would increase the likelihood of adoption, especially if prices for the fresh market drop by 26% and prices for the processing market increase by 63%. If changes in prices would occur at the same time, then prices for fresh-market blueberries would have to drop by 23% and for processing blueberries would have to increase by 9%. Increases in labor wages of 61% would make mechanical harvesters more profitable than hand harvesting. A 63% reduction in yield losses due to mechanical harvest in the field must occur for mechanical harvesters to become a profitable alternative. If only quality losses (e.g., presence of bruises on the external surface of the fruit) are reduced and yield losses are kept constant, then a 43% reduction in quality losses must occur for mechanical harvesters to become a profitable alternative. If both yield and quality losses are reduced, then a 20% reduction in yield losses and 29% reduction in quality losses would be required for mechanical harvesters to become profitable. We found that a mechanical harvester in its current incarnation is not yet a proven profitable alternative for fresh-market blueberries, given all initial assumptions considered in this study. The industry urges technical improvements to decrease harvest-induced loss from mechanical harvesting in the field and loss due to presence of bruises on the fruit external surface to ensure the massive adoption of mechanical harvesters, especially for fresh-market blueberries.