Getting more fruit into trays

The InVision technology in action at Aongatete Packhouse.

Aongatete Coolstores Ltd employs many advanced technologies to ensure growers receive maximum return and pack-out for their kiwifruit crop.

InVision, which grades for external blemishes and shape issues, and NIR (Near Infrared), which checks internal fruit attributes without invasive damage, are two examples. Firstly NIR allows the packhouse to grade fruit which otherwise has not met the overall minimum harvest standards, and secondly to recover fruit which is still taste-acceptable to overseas consumers.

Tracey Chinnery, Aongatete grower services team leader, saystwo examples from last season show how NIR directly befitted growers.

“One of our growers, located in Katikati, was cleared to pick up to size 36. The grower decided to pick and use NIR to size 39 and 42. The fruit was packed on March 24, 2017. We recovered 1369kg out of a possible 2315kg, giving a recovery rate of 59 per cent. This the grower packed in week 12 of Kiwistart.

“For a second grower located in Omokoroa using NIR we recovered 2772kg out of a possible 3534kg, a recovery rate of 78 per cent for sizes 39 and 42. Fruit was packed on May 12, 2017. The grower was paid for fruit that would otherwise have been classed as reject,” she says.

“Aongatete Packhouse grading and quality team’s efforts ensured that the packed fruit was of high standard. Our average reject rates of 8.68 per cent for Hayward (industry average 11.94 per cent) and 9.2 per cent for Sungold (industry average 13.94 per cent) delivered more Class 1 trays for every kilogramme of fruit supplied to the packhouse.”


0 Comments

There are no comments on this article.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to make a comment. Login Now
Opinion Poll

We're not running a poll right now. Check back soon!