"Good harvest this year — but the price dropped by half." That's the reality for many peach growers. When peaches ripen, they all come at once. The market gets flooded. Prices collapse. And the best fruit sells at the same price as the rest. Here's how sorting by weight with 6+1 grades changes the math.
The Peach Grower's Dilemma: Good Harvest, Bad Price
Peaches have a short harvest window. When they ripen, they don't wait. Growers have to pick them quickly and move them to market just as fast. But when everyone's peaches hit the market at the same time, supply exceeds demand—and prices drop.
The problem isn't just about timing. It's about uniformity.
Buyers pay premium prices for peaches that are consistent in size—retailers want uniform packs, exporters need specific weight grades, and processing facilities require raw material that meets their specifications.
When peaches are sold mixed, buyers price the entire lot to the lowest grade. The large, premium peaches that should command a higher price end up subsidizing the smaller ones.
For growers, the math is painful: all that work, and the best fruit doesn't earn its value.
The Core Issue: Not All Peaches Are the Same Size
A single peach tree produces fruit of different sizes. Some are large and heavy—perfect for premium retail. Some are medium—ideal for supermarket packs. Some are small—better suited for processing.
But without a way to separate them, they all go to the same buyer at the same price.
Peach Size | Market Channel | Price Potential |
|---|---|---|
Large (heavy) | Premium retail, export | High |
Medium | Supermarkets, standard packs | Medium |
Small | Processing, juicing | Low |
The solution isn't to grow more peaches. It's to sort them—so each size finds its right buyer at its right price.
The Solution: Rotary Weight Sorter with 6+1 Grades
Fstsort's rotary weight sorter handles each peach individually and gently. It weighs every fruit with ±2g accuracy, then directs it to one of six standard grade exits—with an additional cull exit for fruit that doesn’t meet market standards.
6+1 grades in total
Grade | Purpose |
|---|---|
Grades 1–6 | Six standard weight grades—each size goes to its right market channel |
+1 cull exit | Automatically removes bruised, damaged, or undersized fruit |
The +1 cull exit is what makes the system complete. It ensures that only marketable fruit reaches the packing tables—protecting your brand reputation and preventing customer complaints.
Gentle Handling for Delicate Fruit
Peaches bruise easily. Rough handling during grading can ruin the fruit's value before it ever reaches the buyer.
The rotary weight sorter is designed with soft-touch technology:
Feature | What It Protects |
|---|---|
Soft-padded weighing cups | No rolling, no friction—surface stays intact |
Low-drop discharge | Minimal fall height—no impact damage |
Sponge-buffered packing tables | Soft landing at the final stage |
Peaches that leave the line in premium condition—ready for the market that pays the best price for their size.
Key Specifications
Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
Capacity | 15,000–16,000 pcs/h |
Grades | 6+1 (6 standard + 1 cull exit) |
Accuracy | ±2 g |
Weighing range | 30–500 g |
Footprint | Compact, circular design |
Explore the full specifications on our peach sorting machine page →
From Mixed to Graded: What Changes
Before (Mixed) | After (6+1 Graded) |
|---|---|
All peaches—large, medium, small—sold at the same price | Each size goes to its own market channel |
Premium fruit subsidizes lower-grade fruit | Every peach earns what it's worth |
Buyers price the whole lot to the lowest grade | Buyers pay market price for each grade |
Culls end up in the pack—customer complaints | Culls are removed before packing—brand protected |
A good harvest should mean a good return. But without grading, the best fruit doesn't earn its value. The rotary weight sorter with 6+1 grades changes that—by making sure every peach finds its right buyer at its right price.
The technology exists. The question is whether you're still selling all your peaches at one price.