Most produce needs packaging. Exceptions are generally larger fruits and vegetables such as pumpkins and water melons which may be transported in bulk. Leafy vegetables, such as cabbages, are also often transported in bulk. Here the outer leaves themselves act as a form of packaging by protecting the inner leaves. There is no packaging cost but it should be remembered that the outer leaves are often thrown away before sale and thus there is a cost in terms of product loss.
Packaging serves three basic purposes.
Firstly, it provides a convenient way of handling and transporting produce. Costs would certainly be much higher if everything had to be carried and moved without any form of packaging. Secondly, it provides protection for the produce. The efforts which are continually being made to improve bulk packaging are designed mainly to improve the protection offered rather than to increase the convenience of the packaging from a handling point of view. Finally, packaging can be used to divide the produce into convenient units for retail sale and to make the produce more attractive to the consumer, thus increasing the price at which it can be sold.