Packhouse operations
What is packout percentage, and how do you calculate it?
Packout percentage is the single most useful number in a packhouse: it tells you how much of the fruit you received actually became saleable, packed product, and how much became waste or grade-outs. If you only track one operational metric, track this one.
Key facts
- Packout % = (saleable packed weight ÷ received weight) × 100.
- Worked example: 730 kg of blueberries received, 640 kg packed as Class 1 and Class 2, with 90 kg going to a lower grade and 40 kg to grade-out waste.
- There is no industry benchmark. Packout is crop-, grower-, and season-dependent, so compare it against your own history, and track it per run (not just per day) so a drop can be traced to a specific lot and grower block.
- Capture it at the moment of packing by recording input lots consumed and graded output as it comes off the line, so the number computes itself instead of a month-end spreadsheet exercise.
The packout formula
Packout % = (saleable packed weight ÷ received weight) × 100.
If you receive 730 kg of blueberries and pack 640 kg as Class 1 and Class 2 (with 90 kg going to a lower grade and 40 kg as grade-out waste), your saleable packout depends on how you count Class 2, but a common definition is packed-to-spec ÷ received. Decide your definition once and apply it consistently so runs are comparable.
What is a good packout?
It is crop-, grower-, and season-dependent, so the useful comparison is against your own history, not an industry number. A packout that drops week-on-week for one grower is a signal, poor fruit condition, a cold-chain gap, or a grading issue, worth a phone call before the next delivery.
Tracking packout per run (not just per day) lets you attribute a bad result to a specific input lot and grower block, which is where the money leaks are.
Tracking it without spreadsheets
The reliable way to track packout is to capture it at the moment of packing: record the input lots consumed and the graded output as it comes off the line, and let the number compute itself. Fernable does this on any phone, each pack run shows live packout and ties the result back to the grower block, so trends are visible without a month-end spreadsheet exercise.
Try it on your next pack run
Fernable is free to start, record a receival and a pack run on your phone and watch packout and traceability take care of themselves.
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