As you probably know, in Corvus we market our specialized UTV: the Terrain DX4. Although it is impossible to list all the jobs for which this vehicle is useful, this time we want to talk about the agri-food industry. And more specifically, about the almond industry.
This is a very important business throughout Spain, which is our country of origin and, therefore, where many of our clients are.
So, with this article we will try to facilitate the tasks that arise around harvesting almonds and give some advice on in which situations it would be useful to have a UTV vehicle or if it will be worth it.
Brief context
We know that for most, the almond tree is known for its spectacular appearance when it is in bloom, with that pink tone that even attracts tourists from all over to appreciate them. However, if we talk about almonds as a business or at an industrial level, there are more important characteristics than that.
The tree is native to Asia, but over time it has adapted to other areas of mild weather, as is Spain.
From there, an enormous variety of almond trees have been generated that differ in aspects such as the delay in fruit ripening, the shades or the weather conditions they can withstand, among others.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that it is a deciduous tree, so the land can be filled with leaves in winter and are susceptible to several different pests. Furthermore, this is an example of why a UTV vehicle would be appropriate: transport yourself through the land where the almond trees are planted with the necessary products to counteract these pests or give the plants the necessary care.
Harvest time
As we have mentioned, there are varieties of almond trees whose fruit ripening can be delayed or brought forward, but in general terms, mid-September is usually the ideal time.
In any case, we want to emphasize that these trees will need care during other months of the year, not just in September with their harvest. Therefore, it is always recommended to have a vehicle that allows you to travel through the rugged terrain of almond trees, especially if the land being cultivated is several hectares.
How almonds are collected
The harvesting of the almonds is done by famous method known as “vareo”. That is, with the appropriate instruments, the branches of the trees are shaken so that the almonds fall to the ground.
Once the ripe fruits have fallen, they go through again to collect them and store them.
Logically, these tasks are too tedious to do manually. Therefore, this is where vehicles like our Terrain DX4 come into play.
We do not want to convince you that you will need our UTV no matter what if you have to harvest almonds, we only recommend that you take it into account, because we designed it with jobs like these in mind, to be able to do them in an easy and comfortable way.
