Band 8+: You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The diagram below shows the process of growing and preparing pineapples and pineapple products. Write at least 150 words.

The diagram shows the process by which pineapples are grown and processed into different products.

Overall, this process involves both natural and man-made elements and can be divided into two main stages: the farming of pineapples and the processing of the crop, which eventually turns into a beverage, a canned food, or an export.

First, pineapples are grown in the field with their crowns spaced 26 centimeters apart, and in a climate where the temperature ranges from 23 to 30 degrees Celsius. After seven months, ethylene is sprayed on the plants, after which they continue to grow for an additional five months until they are ready for harvesting. At this stage, the pineapples should be 30 centimeters high and 2 kilograms in weight.

The process continues with the harvested pineapples being washed prior to being graded according to their sizes. Once sorted, the smallest and medium-sized pineapples have their tops removed and their rinds peeled. While the former pineapples are then put into an extractor to produce juice, the latter are cut into slices or smaller chunks, both of which are subsequently canned. In contrast, the largest pineapples are simply coated in wax and placed in crates before being shipped abroad.