Successful plants have to have a guaranteed supply of raw material and must produce products for which there is a demand. Food processors enter into contracts with growers to ensure that supply is evenly extended over the longest possible supply season. It is often felt that mechanized grading will improve the quality of produce. Grading never improves quality, it merely separates qualities. High quality produce is mainly dependent on growing conditions, the production techniques used and post-harvest handling.
Mechanized graders are very good at separating produce into different sizes.
This is the least important aspect of grading. The most important is separating into different quality grades. This can only be effectively done by the human eye. Far greater advances can be made by improving management and adapting existing systems. Investment in expensive machinery may be a later requirement of an ongoing, successful, grading operation.