Smarter harvesting for better quality
A successful harvest is about more than lifting potatoes from the soil. It is about handling every tuber with care, minimising damage and protecting the quality and value growers have worked all season to achieve.
Published on November 10, 2026 - from Nerissa Joubert
Potato growers spend months putting tonnes of potential into the ground – planning, planting, nurturing. But harvesting is where the real skill lies: getting quality potatoes from field to market with minimal damage.
As potatoes remain a living product long after being harvested, skinning, bruising and dropping at harvest can reduce their value. This may only show up when it is too late to do anything about it. Harvesting is therefore not simply about lifting potatoes ─ it is about protecting the investment you have already made, making this a critical stage of harvesting.
Protect quality at every stage
A harvester is under pressure to do two jobs: separate and clean the crop efficiently from the field; and handle the potatoes with care.
GRIMME harvesting technology has been designed around these principles. Whatever the conditions, GRIMME’s focus is on maximising harvesting performance while protecting the crop. Adjustable web speeds, intelligent separator systems, padded bunker components and low-drop transfer points all play a role in reducing mechanical stress on the tuber. The result? Cleaner potatoes, less damage and a more marketable yield.
JP Smit, managing director of GRIMME Africa, adds: "GRIMME has spent generations perfecting the art of gentle potato handling, focusing on protecting crop quality through every stage of the harvesting process. The gentler you handle a potato, the better its marketability, storage performance and ultimately its value.”
Match the machine to the field
No two fields are identical, which is why GRIMME’s harvesting portfolio offers growers machines tailored to their unique conditions.
EVO 260: Versatility with control
The two-row EVO 260 combines productivity with gentle crop handling. With two separators, a spacious picking platform and a 6-tonne bunker, it offers growers strong in-field quality control. Adjustable web and separator systems allow performance to be finetuned to changing crop and soil conditions. Automated Speedtronic-Web and Speedtronic-Sep systems help maintain effective separation while protecting the crop flow. Padded bunker strips and low unloading heights provide additional protection as potatoes move through the machine. With its low tare weight, large radial tyres and optional hydraulic wheel drive, the EVO 260 delivers excellent traction, low soil impact and reliable performance in challenging harvesting conditions.
- Ideal for high cleaning performance with maximum crop protection.
SELECT 200: Simple and reliable
For growers looking for reliable harvesting with straightforward operation, the SELECT 200 combines proven separation technology with crop-friendly handling. Adjustable cleaning elements allow operators to adapt to field conditions while maintaining smooth crop flow. The result is effective cleaning, dependable productivity and careful potato handling.
- Ideal for maximum crop protection under difficult soil conditions.
AIRSEP 290: Built for stony soils
Stony ground presents a particular challenge: separating stones from potatoes while preventing damage. The AIRSEP tackles this with its patented pneumatic separation system. It uses airflow to separate heavier materials from the potato stream, minimising physical contact between potatoes and stones and reducing crop damage. Combined with hydraulic drives, intelligent separator control and a crop-friendly bunker design, the system removes stones and clods early in the process, resulting in gentler harvesting.
- Ideal for challenging stony conditions.
SE 140: Efficient and dependable
The SE 140 is designed for growers who need dependable harvesting across diverse conditions. By reducing stress as potatoes move through the machine, it helps protect skin quality and minimise bruising, delivering effective cleaning, good crop flow and gentle handling.
- Ideal for medium-sized farms.
WH 200: Compact and robust
Beyond protecting the crop and improving sieving, the WH 200’s ‘enhanced harvesting process’ significantly increases crop output. Requiring a minimum tractor power of 68 hp, it is ideal for small-scale farmers transitioning into mechanised harvesting.
- Ideal for potatoes that are collected by hand.
