Technology news from Eurofruit
Technology news stories with a direct relevance to the European fresh produce business, including updates on production and harvesting systems, sorting and grading machinery, packaging, coldstorage and controlled atmosphere, digital management, robots and automation, vertical farming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Everyone wins with autonomy
Autonomous climate and irrigation management can benefit growers and greenhouse companies in multiple ways, according to Ronald Hoek, chief executive officer of Blue Radix
How can fruit growers conserve water? Just ask the trees
British apple supplier Adrian Scripps joins trial to evaluate special ‘listening’ technology, which could interpret stress signals in plants and help growers produce more sustainably
Global Tomato Congress brings category together in The Hague
Next month’s Global Tomato Congress shows the importance of specialists from across the supply chain coming together and sharing insights, research and fresh ideas for the benefit of the entire category
Octiva launches UV-C robot for greenhouses without rails
The Belgian-Dutch company is the first to introduce a UV-C robot on a large scale that can drive autonomously throughout the greenhouse without using a pipe rail system
Exciting times for tomatoes
Ruud Kaagman, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds global crop unit head tomato, tells Fruitnet that the category continues to innovate, evolve and grow despite the challenge of ToBRFV
GreenTech Amsterdam shines light on future of horticulture
On 11-13 June, GreenTech Amsterdam returns to the Dutch capital as technology companies showcase solutions to the big issues facing growers in the horticulture sector
Safe and fresh
Marzio Cazzamali, global industry segment manager for fruit and vegetables at Ammeraal Beltech, speaks to Fruitnet about the conveying solution specialist’s range of food safety products
Pearl Sort launches portable AI-driven blueberry sorter
Blue Pearl has small footprint, is easy to transport and delivers high speeds and accuracy, company said
European supermarket chains install fruit ripeness scanners
Retailers including Jumbo and Migros have apparently recorded higher avocado sales and reduction in waste thanks to arrival of AI-based checkpoints
South African apple and pear growers turn to solar energy
Several producers who supply leading exporter Tru-Cape say their irrigation systems now depend far less on the country’s consistently unreliable national electricity network
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Zespri puts NZ kiwifruit on hold in Europe after mice alert
No fruit from company’s first new-season consignment of SunGold will be released until further inspections have been carried out and any affected product is destroyed
Enza Zaden talks tomato traits
Resistance is important as the fight against ToBRFV continues, but other traits such as taste, shelf-life, colour and yield are also crucial given retail and consumer preferences
Südpack’s greenhouse gas reduction targets validated by the SBTi
SBTi commits to reduce harmful emissions in order to curb global warming
Oppy partners with DEEP to build “Canada’s greenest greenhouse”
New facility will harness geothermal power for farming innovation
Ecuadorean banana exports rally
Lower supply from Central America and Colombia favours Ecuadorean exports in March
Oishii bucks vertical farming’s downward trend with US$134m fund boost
Company says investment will enable it to expand its strawberry and tomato production capacity and invest in new technology like robots
Distribution deal brings HarvestEye into Finland
British company has growth plans for its crop insight tool in the Nordic region
Could fresh produce soon be flown around the world by drone?
As Qatar Airways Cargo’s Miguel Rodriguez underlines the importance of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers to its business, a more technologically advanced future appears on the company’s radar
Lights, camera, robots, action! Unitec marks centenary at cutting edge of innovation
One of the fruit and veg industry’s top technology providers has achieved a century in business, a remarkable milestone for a group that rolled out its first ever fruit sizer all the way back in 1924.
Koppert secures €140m investment to propel global growth
Investment will fund the expansion of company’s production facilities and working capital