The diagram illustrates the process of growing pineapples and how they are prepared to produce different pineapple products.
Overall, pineapples require warm temperatures and a relatively long period to grow before they are processed into several products such as juice, canned fruit and fresh exported pineapples.
In the first stage, pineapples are grown from crowns in a warm climate of about 23-30°C. Initially, the plant grows to around 26 cm. After approximately seven months, the fruit begins to develop. Ethylene is then used to speed up the growth process, and after a further five months, the pineapple becomes fully mature. At this stage, it reaches about 30 cm in height and weighs around 2 kg.
After harvesting, the pineapples are washed and sorted. Some of them are cut and processed using an extractor to produce juice. Others are sliced into pieces and packed into cans as canned pineapple. The remaining pineapples are coated with wax and packed into boxes before being exported as fresh fruit.