The diagram illustrates how pineapples and pineapple products are grown and prepared.
Overall, there are two main stages in the process of growing and producing pineapples and pineapple products: the cultivation of the fruit, which is a natural growing process, and the manufacturing stage, during which the harvested pineapples are processed into three different end products – juice, canned pineapple and fresh fruit for export.
To begin with, a crown measuring 26cm is planted in sunlight at a temperature of between 23 and 30 degrees Celsius. After seven months of growth, the young plant is sprayed with ethaline, and a further five months later it develops into a mature pineapple that is around 30cm tall and weighs approximately 2kg.
Once harvested, the pineapples follow three separate paths. In the first, the smallest fruits are peeled and fed into an extractor to produce juice, which is then packaged in cartons. In the second, the middle-size pineapples are peeled, sliced into rings and subsequently canned. In the final process, the biggest fruits are coated with wax, packed into crates and finally exported by ship.