The 2025 Harvest Rush 💥 How They’re Collecting Millions of Tons of Fruits and Veggies

The 2025 harvest season is reaching its peak. Millions of tonnes of vegetables and fruits around the world are waiting to be picked. Farmers are not only racing against time, but also battling unpredictable weather, volatile prices and market pressures. Now let's see how farmers are rushing to harvest millions of tonnes of produce during the 2025 season. From around September to March each year, Brussels sprouts fields in the Flanders region of Belgium enter their harvest season. Farmers use specialised harvesting machines. First, a circular saw blade cuts the stem. Then the plant is fed into the machine through a small opening. Inside, six rotating blades act like a giant pencil sharpener, trimming the sprouts and pushing the plant material forward. Every six seconds, the machine processes one plant. The Brussels sprouts are then cleaned by fans and filters before falling into a collection hopper. After harvesting, the sprouts are placed into large bins and transported via small trucks that move along the dirt paths through the fields. Thanks to scientific farming methods and efficient harvesting systems, Belgian farmers harvest around 156.9 million pounds of Brussels sprouts each year. From September to November, farmers along the coastal regions of Peru begin their peak blueberry harvesting season, the time of the year with the highest yields. Peru produces around 783 million pounds of fresh blueberries annually. For the 2024-2025 season alone, blueberry exports brought in around 2.27 billion US dollars, making Peru the world's largest exporter of blueberries. Blueberries are harvested entirely by hand to avoid bruising. Workers begin picking early in the morning while the fruit is still cool and firm. Each picker collects around 55 pounds per day, earns roughly 13 US dollars for that amount. After picking, the fruit is placed in plastic bins and quickly transported to nearby processing stations. There, the blueberries are washed, sorted and packed, all within 24 to 48 hours. Cherries are also harvested entirely by hand to avoid bruising or damaging the stems. Pickers gently twist entire clusters from the branches, keeping the stems intact to extend shelf life. They carry soft plastic bags to hold the cherries, which are carefully emptied into large bins placed in the shade to protect the fruit from wilting under the sun. Some large farms use tree-shaking machines combined with tarps to catch the falling fruit, speeding up the process. The harvested cherries are then transferred to a hydro-cooling system for around an hour to preserve their crispiness and vibrant colour. Washington state produces more cherries than any other state in the US, accounting for nearly half of the nation's total output. With over 44,000 acres of cherry orchards, farmers in Washington harvest around 408 million pounds of cherries annually, generating around 480 million US dollars in value. Each year, Brazil harvests around 1.4 billion pounds of sugarcane. The state of Sao Paulo grows the most, producing over 848 million pounds, more than 50% of the country's entire output. During the 2025 season, the Brazilian farmers working against the clock to cut out and process the sugarcane in time for crushing and export. Specialised harvesters cut the cane close to the ground, while simultaneously stripping the leaves and tops right in the field. The stalks are loaded onto trucks via conveyor belts and transported straight to the mill the same day. If not harvested in time, the sugar content in the cane drops rapidly, making it more prone to mould and pests, reducing its market value. That's why farmers in Brazil aim to get the cane to the mill within 24 hours to preserve its quality. China cultivates an estimated 1.4 million acres of carrots. The carrot industry delivers significant economic value, with annual export earnings surpassing 700 million US dollars. In major growing regions, farmers rely on modern machinery to harvest at the perfect time, before the carrots become overripe, cracked or lose market appeal. The harvesters use toothed wheels or pulling belts to grip the carrot tops and lift the roots from the soil. A fast spinning blade then trims off the leaves and the carrots are moved via conveyor belt to a rear storage bin. Each machine can harvest between 22,000 and 33,000 pounds of carrots per hour, allowing fields spanning dozens of acres to be cleared in just a few days. In regions like Damyang, South Korea, famous for bamboo forests and traditional bamboo crafts, the bamboo industry, though a small share of the global exports, still generates an estimated 100 million US dollars annually. In the hilly southern provinces where large bamboo plantations are concentrated, farmers are working overtime to harvest fresh bamboo for processing factories. A well-managed mature bamboo plantation can yield up to 26,000 pounds per acre. Harvesting combines manual labour with mechanical cutters. Only carefully selected stalks, based on Asian straightness, are cut, bundled into large loads and transported by trucks to nearby workshops. Next we head to Spain, one of the world's largest growers and exporters of celery in Europe. It produces around 660 million pounds annually. The harvest season runs from November to March, timed to meet high demand from both domestic market and key export destinations, such as the UK, Germany and France. Across fields spanning hundreds of acres, celery is harvested entirely by hand. Farmers use sharp knives to cut each bundle at the base, then quickly trim off old leaves and remove soil before packing them into crates right in the field. Each worker can harvest between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds per day. Harvesting typically happens early in the morning. If delayed, the intense sunlight can cause the celery to wilt, soften and lose moisture. Greatly reducing its commercial value. Now let's witness the race of the lychee harvest in southern China. In just a short 40-day window, over 4.4 billion pounds must be picked, sorted and distributed across the country. From early morning, farmers strap on baskets and use clippers to carefully snip ripe clusters, keeping the leaves and stems intact to prevent bruising. On the steep hillsides, each person harvests around 400 to 600 pounds a day. As noon approaches, the heat intensifies, urging them to work faster. Everything must be finished by the end of the day. Lychees can't wait. If left out for more than 24 hours, they quickly dehydrate, soften and change colour, becoming unfit for sale. Thailand, with over 617,000 acres of coconut plantations, is one of the world's top exporters of canned coconut water and fresh coconuts. In many coconut growing areas, farmers use long poles with cutting blades attached to harvest. Standing under the trees, they align the pole, hook the stem and twist gently until the coconut drops. A task that requires strength and precision. In addition, monkeys serve as surprisingly skilled helpers. They can climb tall trees swiftly and twist off coconuts with impressive accuracy. Some can harvest hundreds of coconuts per day. Faster and more precise than humans. Once zucchini reaches its ideal size, just two to three days in the field can cause it to swell, toughen and lose value. Each day of delay means lost profits. Farmers must act quickly, harvesting every morning. They carry small knives and walk row by row, cutting the fruit while it's still glossy green, around 15 to 20 centimetres long and just the right size to fit in the palm. Each zucchini is gently placed in a crate to avoid scratches, because even the slightest bruise can make it unsuitable for supermarkets or export. Russia cultivates around 98,000 acres of zucchini, mainly for domestic consumption. During peak season, a large farm can harvest over 100,000 pounds per week. Green beans have a short growing season and are prone to pod shattering, as well as being highly sensitive to moisture. That's why mechanised harvesting is essential to maintain quality and reduce post-harvest losses. Green bean harvesters are equipped with low-cutting headers that operate close to the ground to avoid leaving beans behind. As the machine moves along the rows, it cuts the entire plant and draws it into a threshing chamber. There, a gentle beating mechanism separates the beans from the pods and stems. A built-in screen removes leaves and debris, and the clean beans are transferred by conveyor to a rear storage tank. Thanks to this streamlined process, the harvested beans meet export standards. Uniform in size, clean with minimal damage and optimal moisture content. The US harvests approximately 154 pounds of green beans each year, primarily for export to Japan, South Korea and Europe. Mexico is currently the second-largest exporter of fresh strawberries in the world, with an annual output exceeding 1.4 billion pounds, mainly from states like Michigan and Guanajuato. Unlike many other fruits, strawberries must be hand-picked to reserve their delicate outer bloom and green caps, two key factors that determine market value. Skilled farmers begin harvesting while the morning dew is still present, as this makes the berries easier to pick and less prone to damage. Each worker pushes a small cart fitted with a plastic container, placing berries directly into retail trays in the field. This limits excessive handling and prevents bruising. On average, each person picks 50 to 65 pounds per day. From June to August, farmers in Florida and California focus on harvesting sweet corn. Specialised harvesters use soft clamping systems to snap the ears of the stalks without tearing the husk. The corn is then carried by conveyor belts into collection baskets at the rear. Depending on planting density, each machine can harvest 8 to 10 tons per hour. The entire process, from harvest to cooling, must be completed within 30 minutes in order to preserve freshness. After harvesting, the corn is chilled using an ice water bath that drops its temperature from 30 to below 4 degrees in just 20 minutes. This step helps retain the corn's colour, crunch and sweetness for later processing. Welcome to the journey of discovering the 2025 harvest season. Here farmers are racing against time, while modern machinery runs at full capacity to reap the fruits of their labour. Right now, we're heading to the fields to see how millions of tons of fruit and vegetables are harvested each day around the world. California is the largest producer of raisins, not just in the US, but globally. Nearly the entire US raisin crop, over 95% of national production, comes from this state, mainly in the Fresno region of the San Joaquin Valley. When the grapes reach perfect ripeness, sweet enough but still firm, manual labour crews begin harvesting. Each bunch is carefully hand cut to avoid bruising, then gently placed on paper trays laid between the vine rows. These trays are arranged to absorb sunlight over several days. The grapes slowly dry in the natural sun over 10 to 21 days, depending on the weather. Once they reach the desired dryness, the raisins are collected, temporarily packed and sent to processing facilities. Every year, California farmers produce around 600 to 800 million pounds of raisins. One date contains around 16 grams of natural sugar, mainly glucose and fructose, making it a great source of natural energy. Did you know that a single date palm can produce up to 198 pounds of dates per year? As the fruit begins to form, breathable mesh bags are used to cover the bunches, protecting them from insects and bad weather. These mesh bags allow airflow, preventing moisture build-up and helping to ripen the fruit evenly and stay in high quality. Once the dates are fully ripe inside the bags, it's time to harvest. Farmers simply give the bags a gentle shake and the ripe dates fall neatly to the bottom. A clean, convenient harvesting method with no need to pick each fruit by hand. Egypt is the world's largest producer of dates, yielding about 3.81 billion pounds each year. Most of Egypt's dates are grown in the Nile Delta and southern regions of the country. In the US, Arizona is the leading state for prickly pear cultivation. Some mid-sized farms here can harvest around 154,000 pounds of fruit annually. Because the surface of the fruit is covered with tiny spines, farmers usually wear thick gloves and use long tongs to avoid getting pricked. Harvesters often work early in the morning when temperatures are low and humidity helps keep the fruit firm and easier to handle. Or in the late afternoon when the sun is less intense. The harvesting process is done entirely by hand. Farmers pick each fruit individually, usually when it turns a deep red or purple colour. They gently twist the fruit clockwise until it detaches from the plant. Each fruit is placed carefully into crates, ensuring that they don't pile up on top of each other to prevent bruising. Fruits higher up are picked first. They're easier to see and are often of better quality. In Mexico's main lime-producing states, Veracruz, Michoacán and Huaxia, the lime harvest peaks between June and September each year. Farmers in Mexico still rely almost entirely on handpicking rather than machines as limes have thin, delicate skins that bruise easily. They use specialised scissors to snip the close to the fruit and wear gloves to prevent scratches. Each lime is placed into a basket to keep the skin intact and avoid stem damage. Once the baskets are full, the limes are carefully transferred to containers placed between the tree rows. Throughout the entire process, farmers handle the fruit with great care to maintain its pristine condition. Ensuring high quality for later processing. Thanks to this meticulous harvesting method, Mexico produces around 6.8 billion pounds of limes annually. About 1.5 pounds are exported to the US, Europe and Asia. In Florida's key watermelon-growing regions, especially in the north and north-central areas, the peak harvesting season runs from April to July. During this time, farmers begin picking watermelons early each morning. Most of the harvest is still done by hand, since watermelon rinds are prone to cracking. Farmers carefully inspect each melon, selecting only those that are perfectly ripe. They trim the stems with a small cutting tool, then gently set the melons down to avoid scratches or damage from rolling. Finally, teams of workers load the melons onto trucks. There, they are arranged with care to prevent bruising during transport. The Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer of cashew nuts, yielding around 2.8 billion pounds of raw cashews annually. Cashews are mainly grown in the central and northern regions, across more than 1.6 million acres. Cultivated by around 500,000 small-scale farming households. The harvest season runs from February to June, beginning when the cashew apples turn red and the nuts inside shift to a grey colour. Farmers collect the fallen fruit using plastic buckets, then twist the nuts off by hand to keep the shells intact. After separation, the nuts are sun-dried on tarps or cement surfaces for several more days to reduce moisture. During drying, farmers regularly turn the nuts and remove any foreign materials. Once properly dried, the cashews are bagged and transported to collection points or initial processing plants. During harvest season, American pistachio farmers use tree-shaking machines to collect the nuts. These machines are operated with precision. Positioning hydraulic arms around the tree trunk and shaking it forcefully for a few seconds to make the right pistachios fall off all at once. The nuts are then transferred via conveyor belts into large bins at the back of the machine. The process is fast and continuous, allowing hundreds of trees to be harvested in a single day. Once the bins are full, the pistachios are transported to processing plants within 24 hours. Proper harvesting techniques help preserve the pistachios' colour, moisture and overall quality before they enter the sorting and pre-processing stages. In major garlic-growing regions like California, Oregon and Washington, farmers harvest garlic from late June through to mid-August. The ideal time is when about 60-40% of the leaves have turned yellow and dried, indicating the bulbs have reached their optimal size. First, farmers trim the tops of the garlic leaves close to the bulbs to reduce moisture and ease removal. Then, they use trenching machines to loosen the soil along the rows, helping to free the bulbs from the compacted ground. Once the soil is loosened, the garlic bulbs are lifted either by hand or using gentle harvesters. When done manually, workers carefully pull up each bulb, keeping the thin outer skin intact. The entire process is done with care to prevent bruising and maintain the garlic's quality before drying and initial processing. When papaya harvest season arrives, farmers look for fruits that have begun turning from green to light yellow, signs that they are ripening and reaching peak sweetness. They inspect the skin closely to ensure the fruit is ripe enough to be sweet, but still firm enough for transport. Timing is crucial. Harvesting too early results in bland fruit, while overripe papayas bruise easily and spoil quickly. During harvest, farmers use one hand to support the bottom of the papaya to prevent it from falling and leave a short stem attached to avoid damaging the flesh. This careful manual method minimises scratches, as any bruising reduces the fruit's market value. After picking, the papayas are sorted by size right in the field. Using this approach, Indian farmers harvest around 11 billion pounds of papayas each year. The US is one of the world's top onion producers, with around 125,000 acres planted and an average annual yield of around 7 billion pounds. Harvest typically begins between August and October, once the onion tops have turned yellow and dried. Before pulling the onions, farmers gently press the neck to test firmness and ensure the bulbs fully mature. Specialised machinery is then used to lift the bulbs from the soil. After harvesting, onions are left in the field to dry naturally for around 7 to 10 days. This helps the outer skins cure and the necks to seal. Once dry, the onions are collected and sorted by size. They're then packed into mesh bags or 50-pound bins for easy transport. Mangosteen is usually harvested between August and October, when the outer skin changes from green to deep reddish-purple and becomes slightly soft to touch. This indicates full ripeness. Each mature tree can produce around 300 to 500 fruits per season, providing farmers with a steady annual yield. Farmers use long poles to snip the stem close to the fruit, ensuring the skin stays intact and the stem remains attached. This extends the shelf life of the fruit. Mangosteens are harvested one by one, entirely by hand, as their soft skins are easily scratched. This gentle handling keeps each fruit in perfect shape, free from cracks or bruises. Farmers also avoid leaving harvested fruit in direct sunlight for too long, as it can affect their quality. On large-scale farms in the US, especially Wisconsin or Michigan, farmers often use specialised harvesters to collect green beans quickly and efficiently. When the beans reach optimal maturity, with firm, straight pods and a deep green colour, the machines are brought into the field. These harvesters use cutting blades to slice the plants near the base. Then, vibrating tines and rotating rollers gently separate the pods from the stalks. A conveyor belt on the machine collects the beans, transports them to a rear-holding bin, while fans blow away leaves and debris. The machine can harvest multiple acres in just a few hours, significantly reducing labour and ensuring the beans are picked at just the right time. In Indonesia, rambutan harvest lasts from September to April. Since the fruit clusters on each tree don't ripen evenly, farmers typically harvest two to three times a week, selecting only the ripest fruit each time. They cut entire clusters while keeping the stems intact to prevent cracking and moisture loss. For tall trees, ladders are used to reach the fruit at the top. The rambutans are placed in clean, plastic containers to avoid impact damage and protect the skin and spines from scratches. Right in the orchard, farmers begin initial sorting, removing overripe, damaged or pest-affected fruit. Fast harvesting and immediate sorting helps to minimise losses due to wilting, fungal infection or high temperatures. From July to October, in Idaho's vast potato fields, farmers use large-scale potato diggers. These machines have plough blades at the front that dig deep into the soil, lifting both the potatoes and the surrounding dirt. The mixture of soil and potatoes moves onto a shaking and conveyor belt system. The excess dirt is sifted away while the potatoes continue up to the storage bins. Vibrating bars and soft rubber rollers gently remove soil without bruising the tubers. These machines are designed to follow rows precisely, ensuring minimal crop loss and reducing damage during digging. Before kiwi harvest begins, farmers take random samples and use refractometers to ensure sweetness. When the brix level reaches around 6.5 to 7, the full harvest is triggered. Because kiwis are highly sensitive to bruising and scratching, they are harvested entirely by hand. Farmers wear chest pouches or hip buckets to collect the fruit. Each kiwi is gently twisted from the stem by hand. Great care is taken to avoid damaging the skin or scratching it with fingernails. Once a row is harvested, the full containers are loaded onto carts and transported to nearby sorting stations.