Calavo Growers

US-based avocado supplier Calavo Growers will deploy the HarvestMark Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) solution across its packing facilities in the US and Mexico, including its high-speed automated packing facilities in the US.

The move will give Calavo’s operations whole chain traceability in compliance with the PTI system in the US.

Calavo, the largest avocado supplier in California, will deploy the HarvestMark PTI tool first in its Santa Paula, California, packing facility.

HarvestMark PTI will be installed on packing lines that produce as many as 3,100 cartons of avocados per hour, explained YottaMark, which provides the HarvestMark tool, in a press release.

Using an industrial vision system and automated labelling, YottaMark said the HarvestMark system is able to automatically recognise cartons and carton markings, without slowing down the packing line, and add traceability labels to each carton.

The solution is integrated with the HarvestMark platform, capturing production data for later use in on-demand trace-back, trace-forward, and supply chain analytics, the company noted.

“Each year we pack approximately 30 per cent of the California avocado crop,” said Mike Browne, vice-president of fresh operations at Calavo.

“When we set out to select a traceability partner, we needed a solution that met our volume requirements, and a provider that could offer consistent, reliable support for our business.

“We chose HarvestMark because their solution has the flexibility to accommodate the varied packing styles across our operation, demonstrated a solid return on investment, and has earned a reputation for reliability.”