From the small family picker to the mechanical harvester, Croatians are in their fields. The view from Belje in Baranja.
With the tourist season drawing to a close, many of Croatia’s inhabitants are heading for the fields for the annual grape harvest. An important choice for the grower is to determine when the grapes can be picked. As a basis for the grape harvest is important acidity, sugar content and overall condition of the grape.
For the more expensive and high quality wines find the picking by hand , wherein the bunches are removed as far as possible undamaged. This is a costly process. Often grapes are harvested mechanically, which damages some grapes. In a mechanical grape harvest, damage is unavoidable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_IKfvHw9Bs
With a manual harvest pickers cut the stems with scissors. On the steep slopes of vineyards such as the south side of Hvar, for example, hand-picking is still the preferred option, with donkeys still used in the process in some cases.
The mechanical harvesting has made its entrance in Baranja.
Mechanical harvesters shake the wine plant, allowing only the grapes are harvested, without the clusters. The cost of mechanical harvesting may be up to 50% lower than hand harvest.The mechanical harvesting machine cost about three million Kuna, but replaces about 180 to 200 people.
The photos below were taken in the Baranja,the winery of Belje on the Banska Kosa hill.
