Real calculations for farms of different sizes

Sorting apples is not free of charge. Electricity, labour, machine depreciation, service work and consumable parts all generate real costs. At the same time, many growers do not know how much it actually costs to sort one tonne of fruit.

In this article, we present example calculations for farms of different sizes and show which factors have the greatest impact on the unit cost. It is worth remembering that the sorting cost itself is only one of the elements that affect production profitability. Proper preparation of apples for sorting, reduction of mechanical damage and correct adjustment of the line parameters to the fruit quality are also important.

What makes up the cost of apple sorting?

The main cost components are:

• depreciation of the sorting machine,
• electricity,
• line operation,
• service and consumable parts,
• building and infrastructure costs.

In practice, the utilisation rate of the machine has the greatest impact on the cost of one tonne. The more tonnes pass through the sorter during the year, the lower the unit cost becomes.

What determines the sorting cost?

The real cost of sorting one tonne of apples depends not only on the purchase price of the sorting machine. The line capacity, operator working time, annual machine utilisation and preparation of the equipment for the season are also important. Regular service and proper maintenance help reduce the risk of failures and costly downtime. Before the season starts, it is worth checking how to prepare a sorting machine for the season.

Assumptions for the calculations

For simplification, the following values were assumed:

• sorting machine price: approx. EUR 115,000 net,
• depreciation period: 10 years,
• annual service and parts cost: EUR 1,150,
• average energy consumption: 4 kWh/h,
• electricity price: EUR 0.25/kWh,
• line capacity: 5 tonnes/h,
• 2 operators at EUR 30/h employer cost.

The values are examples. In a specific farm, the cost may be different depending on the number of operators, line capacity, electricity price, purchase price of the machine and annual quantity of sorted apples.

Scenario 1 – small farm

Annual quantity of sorted apples: 500 tonnes

Annual costs

Depreciation:
EUR 11,500

Service:
EUR 1,150

Energy:
500 t / 5 t/h = 100 h of operation

100 h × 4 kWh × EUR 0.25 = EUR 100

Labour:
100 h × 2 people × EUR 30 = EUR 6,000

Total cost:
EUR 18,750 per year

Cost of one tonne

EUR 18,750 / 500 t = EUR 37.50/t

In a small farm, the cost of one tonne is high mainly because the purchase cost of the sorting machine is spread over a small quantity of fruit. Depreciation alone in this example is approx. EUR 23/t.

Scenario 2 – medium-sized farm

Annual quantity of sorted apples: 2,000 tonnes

Annual costs

Depreciation:
EUR 11,500

Service:
EUR 1,150

Energy:
2,000 t / 5 t/h = 400 h

400 h × 4 kWh × EUR 0.25 = EUR 400

Labour:
400 h × 2 people × EUR 30 = EUR 24,000

Total cost:
EUR 37,050

Cost of one tonne

EUR 37,050 / 2,000 t = EUR 18.53/t

With a larger volume, the unit cost decreases very clearly. The machine works for a longer time during the year, while fixed costs are spread over a larger quantity of fruit.

Scenario 3 – large sorting facility

Annual quantity of sorted apples: 5,000 tonnes

Annual costs

Depreciation:
EUR 11,500

Service:
EUR 1,150

Energy:
5,000 t / 5 t/h = 1,000 h

1,000 h × 4 kWh × EUR 0.25 = EUR 1,000

Labour:
1,000 h × 2 people × EUR 30 = EUR 60,000

Total cost:
EUR 73,650

Cost of one tonne

EUR 73,650 / 5,000 t = EUR 14.73/t

In a large sorting facility, the cost of one tonne is the lowest because the machine is used intensively. In such a case, work organisation, stable fruit feeding and downtime reduction become increasingly important.

Why does the cost of one tonne decrease so strongly?

The largest fixed cost is machine depreciation.

For a farm sorting 500 tonnes per year, depreciation alone is approx. EUR 23 per tonne.

At 5,000 tonnes per year, the same cost decreases to approx. EUR 2.30 per tonne.

That is why, when choosing a sorting machine, it is important to match its capacity to the real quantity of fruit. A machine that is too large may generate high unit costs for many years. The article How to choose an apple sorting machine may be helpful.

Does higher capacity always mean a lower cost?

Higher capacity makes it possible to reduce operator working time and use the sorting machine more effectively. However, this does not mean that every line should operate at the highest possible throughput. In practice, stable operation and downtime reduction are critical.

If fruit is fed unevenly, is poorly prepared or the line stops frequently, theoretical capacity will not translate into a low unit cost. More information on this topic can be found in the article How to increase apple sorting efficiency.

How much does manual sorting cost?

Assume that four workers sort 1 tonne of apples within one hour.

4 people × EUR 30 = EUR 120/h

This means a cost of approx. EUR 120/t, excluding the costs of supervision, classification errors or limited work efficiency.

In practice, the cost of manual sorting is often many times higher than the cost of automatic sorting at larger production volumes. Manual sorting is also more difficult to maintain at a consistent quality level, especially during long working periods and with a large number of fruit batches.

Sorting cost is not everything

When analysing profitability, it is worth considering not only the cost of sorting one tonne of apples, but also the impact of sorting on the quality of the final product. Reducing mechanical damage, correct fruit classification and maintaining shelf life after harvest often have a greater impact on the financial result than a difference of a few euros per tonne in operating costs.

Therefore, when choosing equipment, it is worth analysing both operating costs and the impact of the technology on fruit quality. It is also worth reading the articles How to reduce apple damage during sorting and How to increase apple shelf life after harvest.

Conclusions

When using a modern fruit sorting machine, the cost of sorting one tonne of apples is usually in the range of approx. EUR 15 to EUR 38 per tonne.

The annual quantity of sorted fruit has the greatest impact on the result. The better the machine is utilised, the lower the unit cost.

That is why, when analysing profitability, it is worth looking not only at the purchase price of the sorting machine, but also at the cost of sorting one tonne of apples over the entire operating period of the equipment.