In practice grading and sorting will take place throughout the marketing chain. Some grading, particularly of fruit, takes place in the field. Further grading often takes place at the wholesale and retail level so that damage caused by transport and delay can be dealt with. With re-grading, a balance has to be achieved between the higher price for more uniform quality and the increased damage from grading itself. Storage of produce to exploit price rises It is commonly thought that, in times of oversupply, produce can be held in storage and marketed when price rises occur.
Most horticultural crops are only suitable for short-term storage, maybe only a few days.
Storage is expensive and detracts from freshness and quality. In most situations, when the produce is brought out of store it has to compete with freshly arrived produce. The result is reduced prices and the farmer has to pay for the storage costs as well. Relatively few crops are suitable for long-term storage. These crops should be put into storage directly after harvesting.