If in the past crop harvesting only stopped at manual methods, then today with the continuous development of science and technology, machine harvesting has gradually developed. In coffee harvesting as well, between the two methods of hand picking coffee and machine harvesting, what characteristics do they have? How are they different from each other? Let’s explore with Hello 5 Coffee right in the article below!
Manual coffee harvesting
Hand picking coffee, also known as the manual method, without saying, you probably know that this method requires workers to pick coffee by hand, in the literal sense.
With hand picking coffee, there are usually 2 main types:
First, pickers will harvest all coffee at once. Usually they will embrace the coffee tree or branch and then shake vigorously to collect coffee beans. This harvesting method is called strip harvesting. It is commonly applied in coffee farms producing commercial coffee.
The second type is selective harvesting that only picks ripe coffee cherries – selective picking style. Harvesters must work diligently to harvest multiple times. The method of harvesting ripe cherries helps coffee maintain its sweet flavor. Farms harvesting in this style usually target the specialty coffee market.
Overall, hand picking coffee is common in most countries, especially those famous for coffee production and export such as Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Mexico…
Machine coffee harvesting
Machine harvesting coffee method, also called mechanized method, is the method that uses modern machinery to harvest coffee instead of harvesting directly by hand.
Machine harvesting coffee method has 2 main types:
Using Derricadeiras machines
The first method is using Derricadeiras machines (small handheld machines) for harvesting. Derricadeiras has a long rod structure with two large vibrating “hands” at the end. To harvest, workers will lay plastic sheets or tarpaulins under coffee tree roots to catch falling coffee cherries. Then, they will turn on the derricadeira machine and move it to coffee branches. The machine then operates with force to shake the tree and coffee beans will fall down.
Using stripping machines
The second method is using stripping machines. Stripping machines have relatively large capacity so workers can drive them around the farm. This also means they can harvest more coffee at the same time. Stripping machines are designed with rotating and vibrating bars to make coffee beans fall. Next, a system of plates and tubes will catch coffee beans and transfer them into storage containers.
Overall, stripping machines are effective in terms of time. But they also have quite high requirements for farm terrain. Therefore, they can only be used on certain terrain types with relatively flat ground surfaces.
Machine harvesting coffee (mechanization) is common in countries like Brazil, Hawaii, and large farms. This harvesting method is also mainly used in commercial coffee production. However, there are some exceptions where specialty coffee production also uses this harvesting method.
Hand picking vs machine harvesting methods: Which method is better?
Manual harvesting method helps to better identify ripe coffee cherries
Cannot deny the importance of ripe coffee beans. Because coffee cherries when reaching a certain ripeness level will have very special flavor and aroma. Balance in ripeness will create a delicious cup of coffee. Just having mixed ripeness levels can greatly change the coffee cup’s flavor.
Because of this, most specialty coffee farmers will use selective picking methods. This method is also encouraged and trusted by specialty coffee buyers. They see that only this method can meet specialty coffee requirements.
With this method, coffee pickers can also grasp information about coffee trees, with parameters such as branch health, leaf health, coffee cherries affected by fungus, pests, or not meeting standards. This understanding is very important for coffee bean output quality.
However, this is not completely absolute with many other methods. Producers can also invest more in post-harvest quality control. Producers can use water tanks to separate coffee cherries based on their ripeness levels or do it manually by hand. Unripe coffee cherries will be removed immediately.
Based on growing experience, cherries at tree tops tend to ripen earlier. Therefore, farmers can also choose the method of harvesting higher branches first, then at harvest season can harvest lower branches.
Better productivity
Coffee farmers must always consider both productivity and quality as top priorities. Productivity and bean quality must always go together.
If put on the comparison scale, mechanization may have higher productivity because coffee harvesting machines have faster speeds.
However, machine harvesting can lead to more investment in time and effort for post-harvest processing. This stage will reduce process efficiency. And crop productivity may also be lower if many coffee cherries are eliminated after the removal process.
Regarding hand harvesting, it will have selectivity from the beginning. Unripe coffee cherries will not be wasted in later stages, but they will continue to be harvested in the next round. This will help increase crop productivity.
However, with current labor shortage conditions, it can lead to coffee not being properly selected, crop failure, and reduced productivity.
More profitable?
Since it’s production business, ultimately wanting coffee to achieve high quality and productivity is mostly about profit for production.
Currently, with social life becoming increasingly modern, people seem to want to escape manual labor. Moreover, manual harvesting wages are not high either. Therefore, it can be seen that mechanized harvesting can save costs, especially for large-scale farms.
However, harvesting machinery costs are also not low. And finding quality machines with long durability is also not easy.
On the other hand, in some production countries mainly associated with labor, wage levels provided also ensure living expenses, creating reasonability for manual harvesting.
More sustainable?
It’s difficult to give a definitive answer to this question because social nature is always changing. Socially, hand harvesting will solve a labor quantity. However, it’s also necessary to determine how to pay wages reasonably. This is also really a difficult question.
Sustainability is very important for coffee producers. Regarding hand harvesting methods, they will face issues of advanced farming methods in the future. And while all machinery has environmental impact, this method also becomes no longer viable.
Read more: 3 Popular Green Coffee Bean Processing Methods
Above are comparisons as well as advantages and disadvantages of the 2 methods of hand picking and machine harvesting coffee. Hope it has brought readers useful information. Hello 5 Coffee is an exporter of pure Vietnamese roasted and ground coffee, we specialize in supplying large quantities of coffee to coffee shops, distributors, and coffee stores domestically and internationally. With over 12 years of experience in the industry, we will definitely satisfy you. Contact us today to buy coffee at the best prices!
