Why do Filipino farmers wrap fruits in newspaper?

Question

Are there scientific basis in wrapping fruits in newspapers?

Answer 1

Because that's all they have. Plastic holds moisture and ruins fruit and veggies. Paper is the best thing but they don't have access to a lot of disposable materials over there so they re-use newspaper.

Answer 2

I caught my spouse pulling off my almost ripened tomatoes to wrap up as her dopey friend had told her they ripen better. Who do you trust? A hack gardener or my B.S in Ag? People are under the impression that to wrap up fruits and veggies so that the ethylene gas they give off will be concentrated and allow fast ripening. If they went to school they would know that as soon as you pull a product from the plant it begins to use up it's stored nutrients in an effort to survive. With corn, half the sugars go the first day and other fruits and veggies are not far behind. Also, the production of ethylene is so low that it isn't worth the effort, except in the case of adding an apple to some end of season items to keep from cold damage or storm damage as we have in the far North. Also, it may help a bit with some of those picked hard and immature imports, but the pink baseball variety of tomato from the other side of some lost planet has no saving grace and just needs to be shot around behind the barn, put out of it's misery and buried as nothing will help it taste any better. The real misery is when my dopey spouse (whom I love dearly as she tries so hard) can come up with some real winners when I'm not watching. Oh God! You should see my lawn and what she did to try to fix the toilet when I wasn't there. For some, knowledge is a curse.

Answer 3

hello...nice day girl...Well in fact that you know Filipinos have their unique way on how to  do things specially in agriculture...well simply because they want to preserve the fruits freshness and to keep them from insects..

Answer 4

To accelerate ripening, wrap fruits in newspaper or in aluminium foil. But of course newspaper is economical to use after you read it you can sell it or just give it to farmers for them to use. Other basis is that to protect the fruit from light and excessive frost or heat.

Answer 5

Mike, not to knock your answer, but I have a PhD in Agronomy, and one of the first things that I learned when  I got out in the real world after graduation was that the hack gardener, as you call them, and the farmers knew more about what they were doing than I did.  If the Filipino farmers are wrapping their fruit in newspaper, and have been doing it for years, it is in all probability because it works.  If you can accept that then look for the scientific reason for it. The fact that the paper traps the ethylene gas and speeds ripening is probably it.  Also the paper protects the fruit from bruising and other environmental hazards.