Have you ever noticed that green peppers are almost always readily available at the shops, but when it comes to coloured peppers, this is not the case. Have you ever wondered why?
Looking at these pictures of ‘robot’ peppers, it seems almost impossible that more growers would not want to produce a beautiful product like this? Well, there are many challenges when it comes to the production of coloured peppers.
Remember, a green pepper is an immature fruit, harvested before it had enough time on the plant to colour to either red, yellow, or orange, depending on which variety was planted. As soon as a pepper fruit starts colouring in the open field, birds start feasting on the crop. You can also expect more sunburn damage since the fruits will be exposed to the sun for longer. The expected shelf life on a coloured pepper is also shorter when compared to a pepper harvested at a green stage. The taste of coloured peppers, however, surpasses that of green peppers on any given day. Especially if consumed raw.
So, next time you compare the price you must pay for a robot pack peppers in comparison to green peppers, keep in mind that the grower had many more challenges to overcome. We salute you farmers for your hard work and dedication!
The sweet pepper varieties shown on these photos are F1 hybrid Citrine (Yellow) and F1 hybrid Momentum (Green and Red). 📍Grown in Nylstroom, Limpopo.
View Sakata’s sweet pepper range on our website: Sweet Pepper | Sakata https://ecs.page.link/KVRgf
