In the field

It’s safe to say Rolando ‘Alan’ Cuyos, 55, knows his pineapples. He has been planting pineapples for Dole for 25 years. Cuyos enjoys the planting and one of his responsibilities is to spread the root buds of the pineapple before planting it. “Everything about the company starts with planting,” Cuyos says. When he was younger he could plant at least 7800 plants in under six hours, something he is proud of. Despite the high tally Cuyos does not rush the planting process. “You have to be aware of its position because the root needs to be slightly bent. If not, it can simply fall to the ground,” he says. “The secret is to plant and work with good quality. Slowly but surely. I just do it carefully. I don’t rush.”