A ‘pick and click’ data system that keeps track of soft fruit from the moment it is picked in the field has been introduced by Kent and Sussex Scales.

The data logger, which is designed for electronically recording picked weights of soft fruits, was developed in response to the need for accurate, fast and electronically-stored information.

The system is aimed at minimising paperwork to keep track the picker, the product, the location, and the weight picked.

The system uses bar codes, either in the form of labels attached to specific picking crates or on badges worn by the pickers, which are scanned by a supervisor using a hand-held scanner once the fruit has been weighed on designated scales.

This automatically allocates the correct amount of fruit to individual pickers and stores the data in the scale.

The information - which can be sorted by picker, yield, field or crop - can be viewed at any time to show picking trends by day, week or month.

The results can be printed off or downloaded to a laptop or PC.

The KSS weighing scales are available in versions from 6kg to 50kg capacity.