An apparatus for harvesting small fruit detached from fruit trees or bushes has a tarpaulin, a winding shaft fastened to a proximal end of the tarpaulin, a first bearing structure supporting the winding shaft, a rotary drive motor coupled to the winding shaft, at least one band having bending and shape memory, a winding drum connected to one end of the band, and a second bearing structure supporting the winding drum. The band has an end connected to the distal end of the tarpaulin. A distal end of the band pushes the distal end of the tarpaulin so as to move the tarpaulin away from the winding shaft so as to deploy the tarpaulin above the ground.