Handling

Watermelon fruits are rather fragile and susceptible to breakage and bruising and should be handled and shipped with care. In Africa, fruits are often greatly damaged as a result of poor handling and transportation.

Ensure that the employees handle the watermelons in a manner that will not cause damage to the fruit. Do not allow the melons to be tossed up onto the truck, nor allow workers to stand on the crop while sorting and loading.

Trucks, wagons, and crates should be padded and watermelons should be arranged to limit movement to protect from interior bruising. Pack the watermelons in layers no more than four deep. The tops of the containers should be covered to prevent sunburn in transit.

Melons should not be shipped in closed trucks or stored with fruits (bananas, peaches) and vegetables (tomatoes, cantaloupe) that emit ethylene. Ethylene is a colorless gas regarded as the natural aging or ripening hormone. When exposed to ethylene, watermelons break down internally, and the flesh takes on a water-soaked appearance. This leads to flesh softening and flavor loss.