Sustainability and efficiency are central features of company’s new Smart Fruit Hub near Rotterdam
The Netherlands’ largest fruit cooperative Fruitmasters has opened an ultra-modern logistics and packaging centre as part of its strategy to operate a future-proof, streamlined fruit supply chain.
According to the company, the Smart Fruit Hub in Geldermalsen, near Rotterdam, is unique in Europe, meets the strictest environmental and energy standards, and enables it to provide customers with the freshest produce possible.
By combining advanced technologies for sorting, packaging, and logistics – including robotics and automation – in a single, closed, and refrigerated facility, the entire building has apparently been designed for maximum efficiency, freshness, quality, and sustainability.
It covers a total of 30,000m2 and houses dedicated packing stations for apples, pears, and soft fruit across two floors. And at its heart is a fully automated high-bay warehouse, standing 23m tall, with capacity for over 10,000 bins of sorted fruit.
Apple sorting has been completely modernised with advanced techniques, including AI-driven quality control, to allow it to handle 32 tonnes of apples per hour.
Similarly, the packing process has been partially automated using robots that are programmed to offer consistent product quality.
And the use of automated guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots, meanwhile, means the centre’s internal transport is almost fully automated and it can therefore offer a more efficient and safer working environment, the company added.
No compromise
According to Fruitmasters CEO Adriaan Vis, the Smart Fruit Hub enables the company to operate even more efficiently without compromising the quality and freshness of the fruit for consumers.
“If we want to make an impact, we must continue to take initiative. With this Smart Fruit Hub, we not only strengthen our position as a sourcing platform and leading growers’ cooperative in the Netherlands but we also take an important step in advancing fruit cultivation in the country,” he commented. “I’m incredibly proud of this milestone, which is the result of the dedication and collaboration of our people, growers, and chain partners.”
Vis added: “The Smart Fruit Hub demonstrates how technology, sustainability, and chain collaboration can all come together in one place. This creates added value for our growers and partners, while also contributing to a future-proof sector where health and sustainability go hand in hand. This ensures that everyone can continue to enjoy delicious, fresh fruit grown on Dutch soil for many years to come.”
