Machine picked fruit needs to be tough.
Unfortunately they have all the flavor of a shaved tennis ball.
That is true. But the elephant in the room for all produce is this: The average consumer buys by sight. That is why the old red varieties of apples have disappeared from the produce departments of grocery stores. They aren't eye appealing and don't sell, so the grower had to adapt by searching for and growing redder, brighter and better keeping fruit to stay in business,
If the grower can't make a living doing what he loves he does something else.
Another little fact that is overlooked by the elites is that without the large farms and the sophisticated storage and delivery infrastructure that is in place today, the food supply would be severely curtailed.
Most of you won't remember when tomatoes weren't in stores until May or June. Potatoes weren't in short supply and sprouting by Feb. or March. In short, the produce section in most stores nearly didn't exist until the summer produce was available.