A customer in Zimbabwe started with one Fstsort drum grader. Satisfied with its gentle handling and reliable performance, they later added three more — and their friend bought one too. The Fstsort drum grader protects delicate blueberries with soft brushes and gentle rotating drums, sorting by diameter without bruising or bloom loss. Simple to operate, easy to maintain, and built for farms and small packing houses.
The Zimbabwe Story: From One Machine to Four
Zimbabwe's blueberry industry is young, but it's growing fast. More growers are entering the market, and more of them are looking for grading solutions.
In 2021, a customer in Zimbabwe purchased their first blueberry grader from Fstsort. The company had been expanding its blueberry planting operations and needed a way to process increasing volumes efficiently — without damaging the delicate fruit.
The results spoke for themselves. After using the machine, the customer said: "The Fstsort machine is great to use — low power consumption, low noise, flexible movement, and very fast processing speed. The most convenient thing is that we can operate and install it ourselves. It has attracted many friends and peers who grow blueberries to come and visit."
Within a year, that one machine had become a showroom. In January 2022, the customer ordered three more identical graders and added six spare drums. The customer's friend also purchased a blueberry sizer that same month.
For Fstsort, customer recognition is the greatest affirmation. For Zimbabwe's blueberry growers, it's proof that reliable automation is within reach.
Why Blueberries Need Gentle Grading
Blueberries are among the most delicate fruits in the world. Their natural waxy "bloom" — the silvery powder that signals freshness to premium buyers — can be rubbed off by the slightest friction. Once it's gone, the berry looks dull, loses shelf life, and drops from premium grade to discount bin.
They also have a short shelf life. Blueberries ripen quickly and must be picked, sorted, and packed fast. Manual sorting can't keep up with commercial volumes. And rough handling during sorting can cause internal bruising that only shows up after the fruit reaches the consumer.
The solution: a grader that sorts quickly, accurately, and gently.
The Fstsort Blueberry Drum Grader
The Fstsort drum-type blueberry grader is designed for farms and small packing houses. It sorts blueberries by diameter, with gently rotating drums and special soft brushes inside to prevent berries from getting stuck. Soft materials at every connection and drop point ensure no bruising — and no bloom loss.
What it delivers:
Feature | What It Means for Your Blueberries |
|---|---|
300–500 kg/h capacity | Enough for small to medium operations — no bottlenecks during peak harvest |
2–4 adjustable grades | Sort berries into multiple size grades to match different market requirements |
Replaceable drums | One machine covers more sizes — saves the cost of buying another grader |
Built-in blower | Separates stacked berries so each one is graded individually |
Gentle handling | Soft materials at every contact point — no bloom loss, no bruising |
Low cost, compact design | Flexible movement, easy to install and maintain |
The drum grader is widely used across fruit and vegetable production bases, orchards, and processing industries — not just for blueberries, but also for oranges, citrus, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and more.
What Customers Say
The Zimbabwe customer's feedback is consistent with what many other users report:
· Easy to operate — No complex training required; workers can get up to speed quickly.
· Easy to maintain — Simple structure, replaceable drums, minimal downtime.
· Cost-effective — Low power consumption, durable components, and the ability to change drum sizes without buying a new machine.
As one customer put it: "The Fstsort machine is great to use — we can operate and install it ourselves."
Built for Blueberry Growers
Fstsort has delivered customized blueberry grading solutions to packers across multiple markets — including Austria, Canada, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Each installation is customized to the specific variety, throughput target, and market requirements of the operation.
Explore the full specifications on our blueberry grading machine page →