Watermelon Picking

When people think about watermelon season, they usually picture the finished product – juicy red watermelon that’s right ready to cut and eat fresh. What’s less visible is the work that goes into getting them off the field in the first place.

At Fieldco, watermelon picking is one of the hardest jobs on the farm. It’s hands-on, physical work that requires skill, experience, and stamina – often in hot, muggy conditions(hello, Northland summer!) and over long days.

Unlike many crops, watermelons are picked by hand. Each melon needs to be assessed individually for ripeness. Pick too early and flavour suffers; leave it too long and the texture inside turns overripe – floury and the flavour changes. Our teams rely on experience – checking colour, field marks, and maturity – rather than any single foolproof test.

Watermelons are delicate picking for such a heavy fruit! A full day of picking involves hundreds of repetitive movements, often while bending, lifting, and walking across the moulded rows. 

Timing is another challenge. Watermelons don’t all ripen at once, which means fields are often picked in stages. At Fieldco, its always best for our crop managers to carefully monitor this so extra work doesn’t have to be put in, picking over the same field multiple times. This requires careful coordination between our growing teams, logistics, and packhouse to make sure fruit is harvested at its best and moved quickly through the supply chain. Fun fact: over the Christmas period, we had days where product was picked, packed, and on our customers’ floors within 24 hours!

Weather plays its part too for Melon Picking. Hot days can speed ripening, while cooler or wet conditions can slow things down. Our teams adjust constantly, making decisions day by day based on what the crop is doing.

For our customers, this extra effort shows up as consistent quality, good eating, and reliable supply through the season. For us, it’s a reminder that behind every watermelon is a lot of hard work from people who know the crop inside and out!

So next time you cut into a crisp, sweet watermelon, spare a thought for the picking teams out in the field. It’s not an easy job – but it’s a crucial one in delivering New Zealands’ most top quality watermelons!

Interested in partnering with Fieldco for supply of New Zealand’s best quality melons this season?🍉

Get in touch with one of the team today, by replying to this email or emailing sales@fieldco.co.nz

Phone: 09 439 5545