Catering to the changing demand for apples and new varieties in development, South Australian-based co-operative Lenswood Apples has invested A$1.5m in redeveloping its Adelaide Hills apple packing facilities.
Supplied by MAF Oceania, the MAF Roda multi-purpose rapid packing line will increase efficiency for Lenswood’s packing operations, according to both groups. The new machinery includes a bin tipper, high-pressure wash, brusher and bio-waxer as well as an automated pallet stacker.
“The addition of this MAF packing line will allow Lenswood Apples to more rapidly adapt to the changing customer and consumer trends,” explained MAF Oceania’s sales director Trevor McManus.
Lenswood CEO James Walters told Fruitnet that the new machinery, due to be installed towards the end of 2015, will cater to Lenswood’s packing requirements for its Rockit and MiApple proprietary varieties, as well as bring in new packaging for its commodity varieties, such as Pink Lady.
Alongside the new packing unit, which is flexible enough to switch between different packaging requirements, Lenswood Apples has also invested in a bio-waxer – the first of its kind in Australia.
“The bio-waxer is an innovation which will enable Lenswood to present its fruit to the best quality possible – with a long-lasting, high shone that has not been seen in Australia to date,” said McManus. “Built to meet exacting European environment standards, the bio-waxer uses an alcohol wax that is cold air dried, eliminating the need for a gas-fuelled hot air tunnel to dry fruit, as with conventional waxing.”
The bio-waxer not only improves appearance, but also improves shelf-life, said Walters, and will be used for Lenswood’s proprietary and commodity apple varieties.
This next phase of the redevelopment will include building expansions and packing line updates further down the track, adding to the A$6m investment Lenswood Apples made in 2009 to make it one of the most advanced packing facilities in the Southern Hemisphere.
“Lenswood Apples is building a future of new apple varieties, signalling a change to the business of growing apples,” Walters said. “Our culture is similar to MAF in that we are always looking to do things better. They are a driver for us to develop more initiatives in the way we grow, pack and market apples.”
See the full story on Lenswood Apples in the winter issue of Produce Plus
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