Longer journeys
More handling, more stacking and more time under load. Export trays usually move up a ply from the same tray sold locally.
Corrugated packaging · Lahore
Fruit & produce boxes
Ventilated trays that let a stacked pallet breathe — die-cut with stacking corners and hand holes, and supplied flat so you are not storing air.
A produce box has a job an ordinary carton does not
Everything else we make is designed to keep the outside out. A produce tray has to do the opposite as well: fresh fruit keeps respiring after it is picked, giving off heat, moisture and gases, and a box that seals all of that in around the fruit shortens its life before it reaches anybody.
So the tray is built to let air move — through the vents, past the corner posts, and up through a stacked pallet. That is why produce packaging looks the way it does, and why a plain sealed carton is the wrong answer for it.
What makes it a produce tray
| Feature | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Ventilation holes | Fresh produce respires and gives off heat and moisture. Vents let air move through a stacked pallet instead of trapping warm, damp air around the fruit. |
| Stacking corners | Interlocking corner posts carry the weight of the trays above, so the load sits on the corners rather than on the fruit. |
| Hand holes | A full tray is lifted many times between the field and the shelf. Hand holes make that faster and reduce dropped trays. |
| Open tray or lidded | Open trays for display and quick packing; a lid or a telescopic top where the load travels further or is stacked higher. |
Packing for export
Humidity in a container
Corrugated board loses compression strength as it takes up moisture. A tray specified for a dry warehouse can fail in a reefer.
Palletised properly
Trays that match the pallet footprint stack square and carry their load on the corners. Ones that do not, lean.
Marked for the buyer
Variety, grade, count, grower and handling marks — printed on the tray, in the layout the receiving market expects.
Tell us the fruit, not just the box
Produce is the one line where the contents change the specification most. The count per tray, the firmness of the fruit, how high it is stacked, whether it is going into cold storage and how far it travels all move the answer.
Describe the crop and the route, and we will work the tray back from it — including whether 3-ply is enough or the load needs 5. See 3-ply, 5-ply or 7-ply.
Common questions
What is a fruit tray made of?
Corrugated board, usually 3-ply for light trays and 5-ply where the tray carries more weight or is stacked high. The board is die-cut and creased so it folds up into a tray with built-in corner posts, and it arrives flat so it takes up very little space until it is used.
Why do produce boxes have holes in them?
Fresh fruit and vegetables keep respiring after picking, giving off heat, moisture and gases. Ventilation holes let that escape and let cool air move through a stacked pallet. A sealed box around fresh produce traps warmth and humidity and shortens shelf life.
Can you make trays for mango and kinnow export?
Trays for export are the same product built to a heavier specification, because the journey is longer, the stack is higher and the humidity in a container is unforgiving. Tell us the fruit, the count per tray, how it is palletised and where it is going, and we will propose the board.
How many kilos does a produce tray hold?
It depends on the tray and the fruit, but trays in the region of 5 to 10 kg are common because that is what a person can lift repeatedly and what stacks safely. Heavier trays exist for wholesale and for firmer produce.
Can the trays be printed?
Yes. Grower and packer names, variety, grade, count and handling marks are all commonly printed. One or two colours is usual — the tray is a working item rather than a retail pack, though trays that go on display in a shop are sometimes printed more heavily.
Do you supply the trays flat?
Yes. Die-cut trays are supplied flat and folded up at the packhouse, which means you are not paying to store or transport air. They lock together without tape or glue.
Before you specify
Worth reading first
3-ply, 5-ply or 7-plyWhat the ply number counts, roughly how much weight each construction carries, and how to choose without paying for board you do not need.How to measure a cartonInternal versus external dimensions, the length × width × height order, and how much clearance to allow around the product.
No price list, and that is deliberate
Tell us what you need to pack
Every job is specified for one customer, so cost depends on size, board, quantity and print. Describe the product and the journey it makes, and we will propose a specification and quote it.
Request a quote