Unitec’s intelligence creates value for cherries

The cherry market today is increasingly demanding: crispness, colour, and sugar content are key elements that define the commercial value of this wonderful fruit.

In this constantly evolving landscape, Unitec has been supporting packing houses for over 100 years with advanced technological solutions for the sorting, processing, and packaging of fruit, nuts, and fresh vegetables.

The overriding objective is to enable companies to increase their profitability while simultaneously obtaining batches of consistent and satisfactory quality.

Artificial intelligence enters the heart of the fruit

Unitec doesn’t just follow market developments: it anticipates them. For years, Unitec has integrated artificial intelligence systems into its technologies, placing itself at the forefront of innovation in the sector.

With the Cherry Vision 3.5 AI and 4.0 AI systems, the company has introduced a new paradigm in post-harvest sorting, supporting operators in identifying defects and imperfections often imperceptible to the human eye, through the use of next-generation artificial intelligence models.

Fresh cuts, colour variations, insect bites and damage (eg. Drosophila), and surface defects are precisely identified, enabling more reliable classification that meets the standards required by the large-scale retail trade, and on national and international markets.

The most advanced innovation, however, comes with Uniq Cherry: the technology capable of going beyond the fruit’s external appearance, also detecting internal parameters related to flavour, such as ripeness and sugar content.

This approach transforms the very concept of sorting: no longer simply identifying defects, but enhancing the commercial potential of each individual fruit.

For packing houses, this translates into a greater ability to segment lots, reduced losses in value, and cherries that meet the taste expectations of the end consumer.

Unitec: Technology at the service of a more efficient supply chain

Unitec’s strength lies not only in its technological solutions, but also in a product and service vision that supports packing houses throughout the entire processing chain.

Automated lines accompany cherries from delivery to final packaging through delicate, rapid, and highly efficient processes. The goal is threefold: optimise operating costs, reduce waste, and enable packing houses to maximise profitability.

Each system is custom-designed and integrates technologies developed by the company’s in-house Research & Development center. This flexibility allows operators to address increasingly complex campaigns, characterised by extreme weather events and growing product quality variability.

Stories of trust: the experience of those who have chosen Unitec

The Spanish cherry campaign is now over halfway through and has kept the entire cherry supply chain in suspense, called upon to realise an entire year’s work in just a few days.

The sector is experiencing a particularly intense phase: the initial persistent rains and sudden temperature changes are making operations even more complex.

In this challenging and challenging environment, the Spanish packing houses that have chosen Unitec technologies for cherry processing and sorting are achieving impressive results.

Llamfruit Cherry, a fruit and vegetable packing house located in the autonomous community of Aragon, has been producing, processing, and exporting cherries for over fifty years. It recently adopted the new Cherry Vision 4.0 AI system.

“In such a context, the great challenge is maintaining consistent quality in shipments when the fruit arrives with a high level of heterogeneity,” states general manager Carlos Llambrich. “Today, it’s not enough to simply sort by size; it’s necessary to carefully monitor parameters such as firmness, colour, external defects, and shelf-life.”

He adds: “The introduction of the new Unitec Cherry Vision 4.0 AI technology this year is helping us manage this complexity. The machine enables much more precise and consistent sorting, identifying differences that would be very difficult to consistently detect manually.

“This helps us process the delicate fruit better, separate the qualities more reliably, and allocate each lot to the most suitable market, maintaining product continuity even during an irregular campaign.”

The company also reports an estimated 15 per cent to 20 per cent improvement in operational efficiency compared to previous campaigns. On the commercial front, the increased quality consistency is helping to reduce complaints and strengthen customer trust, having a direct impact on product value and the company’s competitiveness.

Waste down, value up

The same positive trend is also observed at Agrupación de Cooperativas Valle del Jerte, one of the main producer organisations in Extremadura, Spain, where the adoption of technology has allowed them to maintain more uniform quality criteria even during periods of increased operational pressure and with highly heterogeneous batches.

More accurate classification allows for the best possible valorisation of each product batch, directing each quality to the most appropriate marketing channel. The result is a significant reduction in waste and a greater ability to preserve the commercial value of production.

The organisational benefits are also clear: the technology supports faster and more objective decisions, improves management of peak deliveries, and increases responsiveness during the most critical phases of the campaign.

This is particularly important during seasons characterised by heavy rainfall and significant qualitative variability, where operational efficiency and rapid decision-making become key factors for commercial success.

But Unitec’s true strength lies in designing solutions that translate into a competitive advantage, as confirmed by Frutas Agrotrain, a company that has continued to cultivate with the same spirit and dedication as on day one for three generations.

The company has confirmed the importance of using Cherry Vision 3 technology to accurately sort fruit, even in particularly challenging seasons like the current one.

“Currently, there are batches of cherries that, if it weren’t for vision technology, we would probably have left unharvested or completely discarded,” says a spokesperson.

Reliable sorting and a drastic reduction in manpower at the processing center: a concrete result that generates value for the company.

Unitec: Global presence, Italian roots

With over 20 operational offices in the main producing countries and a sales network reaching more than 65 countries, Unitec supports packing houses daily with technical assistance and specialised consulting services.

“We work for your results” is not just a slogan, but a promise that for over 100 years has strengthened a market that today grows thanks to those who have the courage to make ‘smart’ choices, investing in technology and automation.