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<pre>Paul,
As a processor on a small scale, and having to lift/carry/tip the
olives, I can vouch for the fact that one of these crates full is about
as one man can handle. (filled to the top of the top vents, there is
about 20kg of fruit in there- making a total of 22kg including the
crate) If you use anything else, then you need to be sure that there is
plenty of air circulation possible through the fruit and that it isn't
too heavy for your poor processor to handle. These crates last forever
of you look after them reasonably well, so the cost is amortised over
quite a time. (ours are already 6 years old and have been in constant
use during the harvest season, both for our fruit and for client fruit
that comes in everything from wash baskets (they last about 10 minutes!)
to those big roller type blanket boxes (these are too deep for air
circulation and too damned heavy to lift!).

If you are sending to a bigger processor, they might not take too kindly
to having smaller crates to work with, so they will likely require the
bigger bins (400kg??) for their convenience. How you get one of them
onto/off a traytop vehicle without a forklift is problematical, though!

Cheers
John Attwood
Tamworth NSW Au


Paul Moran wrote:

>
>
>Hi All
>
>I am wondering what type of crate or box people are using for their
>harvested olives. The vented plastic olive crates are a bit expensive at
>about $27 each. Any suggestion appreciated.
>
>Regards
>
>Paul
>
>Narranghi
>
>Braidwood NSW
>
>
>
> _____
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