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Fruit Production and Management: Targets, Costs and Sales

An orchard is a small business. First set a target harvest, then plan trees and yield. Income = harvest × price and profit = income − cost. Yearly jobs are done in order and recorded. The sales route changes the price. Eco-friendly methods such as grass cover, bees and less spray protect the land and can lower cost.

🎬 Step-by-step story

  1. Set a target: 1200 kg of fruit. Harvest = trees × yield per tree. With 20 trees we are short.
  2. Income = harvest × price. Profit = income − cost. The gold pile is income, the brown pile is cost.
  3. Work goes round the year in order: prune, spray, thin, pick, pack. Keep a record of each task.
  4. Pick a sales route. Selling direct or making jam earns a higher price, but needs more work.
  5. Care for nature: grass cover, bees and less spray. Cost falls and the price rises a little.
  6. Now plan it yourself: change trees, yield, price and sales route.

Tip: drag the 3D scene to turn it. Use two fingers to zoom.

🤔 Common doubts, cleared

Why start with a target?

The target tells you how many trees and how much work you need. See the red target label against the green harvest label.

Is a big income always good?

No. If the cost is also big, the profit may be small. Compare the gold and brown piles.

Why record every job?

A record shows what was done and when, so you can find the cause of a loss and plan better. Each green tile is one recorded job.

Why not always take the highest-price route?

Higher-price routes need more work and tools, and may carry risk. Choose the route that gives the best profit for your effort.

Does eco-friendly farming lose money?

Often it does not. Cost falls with less spray and some buyers pay more. Watch the profit pile grow.

Production target and business plan

A production target is the harvest you aim for, for example 1200 kg. Work backwards: harvest = number of trees × yield per tree. For 1200 kg at 30 kg per tree you need 40 trees. A business plan lists the target, the land and trees, the money needed, the jobs and dates, and the expected income.

Income = harvest × price per kg, profit = income − cost. Cost includes plants, labour, water, spray, packing and transport.

Managing production processes

A fruit year has jobs in a fixed order: pruning → spraying → thinning → picking → packing. Each job has a best time. A work calendar says who does what and when. A record book notes the date, job, material used, cost and result. Records show what worked, help decide next year's plan and are needed to find the cause of a loss. Good management also means checking quality at every step so bad fruit does not reach the buyer.

Distribution and sales

There are many sales routes.

The grower chooses the route by price, effort, risk and how fast the fruit spoils. Spreading sales over two routes lowers risk.

Environment-friendly fruit production

Fruit growing can protect the land. Good ways: keep grass cover between rows to stop soil washing away, welcome bees and other pollinators, spray only when a pest count says it is needed (integrated pest management), use compost, save water by drip pipes, and recycle prunings as mulch. Customers often pay a little more for such fruit, and the grower spends less on spray.

Try it

1) In the 3D, change trees to 30 and yield to 40. Does the harvest reach the target? 2) Pick the three sales routes one by one and write the profit for each. 3) Switch Eco-friendly on and compare. 4) At home, make a record for a plant: date, job, cost.

Key formulas and definitions

Worked examples

1. A grower wants 1200 kg and each tree gives 30 kg. How many trees are needed?

Trees = 1200 ÷ 30 = 40 trees.

2. 40 trees × 30 kg sold at 40 per kg. Cost is 700 per tree. Find income, cost and profit.

Harvest = 1200 kg. Income = 1200 × 40 = 48000. Cost = 40 × 700 = 28000. Profit = 48000 − 28000 = 20000.

3. The same grower sells direct at 1.3 times the price. How much is the profit now?

Income = 48000 × 1.3 = 62400. Cost stays 28000. Profit = 34400.

Common mistakes

Practice quiz

1. Profit equals:
2. A target of 900 kg with 30 kg per tree needs:
3. Which sales route normally gives the lowest price per kg?
4. Which is an eco-friendly method?
5. Why keep records?

Practice: answer these yourself

Type or choose your answer, then press Check. Use a hint if you are stuck; the full solution appears after you answer.

Frequently asked questions

How do you set a production target for an orchard?

Decide the harvest you want, divide by the expected yield per tree to find the number of trees, and check that land, money and labour are enough.

What is the difference between income and profit?

Income is all the money from sales. Profit is income minus all costs.

What is environment-friendly fruit production?

Growing fruit in ways that protect soil, water and wildlife, such as grass cover, bees, less spray, compost and drip water.

Where this is taught

Japan高校（専門学科）1〜3年Fruit Trees

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