Papaya in the tropics flower 3 to 4 months after seeding and the fruits will mature about 5 months later. The optimum stage of fruit maturity varies between 17 to 20 weeks after flower anthesis, the variation being influenced by weather and age of trees. Harvesting at the proper stage of maturity is very essential to ensure quality and maximize storage period.

Fruits should be harvested at colour indices 2 or 3 to allow longer time for further handling and storage. At this stage, there is also little damage due to anthracnose or fruit flies. Fruits of colour index 1 are not suitable for table consumption because they are likely to be immature and may not soften or change colour. Fruits harvested at colour indices 4 and 5 are not suitable because of the short window for marketing.

The first fruits are borne about 1-1.4 m from the ground, so the harvesting in the first year can be conveniently done by hand. In the second year, harvesting becomes more tedious because the trees will bear fruit beyond the reach of the harvester. A long stick with a small wire basket lined with sponge attached to the end will facilitate the harvester. At the end of the stick, nylon net secured around a ring would be useful to catch the fruit as it is detached from the tree. The fruits are collected in stackable plastic baskets lined with cloth or newspaper to prevent bruising.

Papaya is considered a non-seasonal fruit but shows distinctive production peaks and troughs though it's cropping cycle. The production peaks come every three months beginning with the first peak at the eleventh month from planting. The best production phase is expected to be around 13 to 14 months. The peaks after this progressively become less marked when the plants reach the latter part of their crop cycle around 18 to 24 months. The production trends may be influenced by weather conditions, especially rainfall. Under drought conditions, fruit ripening may be delayed for two or more weeks and several fruits on the same tree may simultaneously ripen with the onset of rain.