Cuna de Platero SCA, a cooperative from Moguer, which continues to move towards a model of excellence, presented an innovative collection system of fresh fruits that will allow them to obtain more consistent fruit in the days with high temperatures and improve working conditions during harvesting, by avoiding the hottest hours.
Cuna de Platero SCA remains at the forefront of the berry sector with Fresh Picking, the innovative collection system of fresh fruit that the cooperative has started using during very hot days. "Fresh Picking allows us to have an optimal and efficient collection of our fruit in the days that are expected to be very hot. The implementation of this innovation improves the quality and freshness of the fruit as well as the working conditions of our workers, as it avoids the hottest hours. It is a step towards a total quality model: all processes are accelerated, allowing us to get our product to supermarket shelves faster in nearby destinations, the fruit doesn't deteriorate during collection and it needs less time in the cooling chambers before handling, which means significant energy savings," said Juan Báñez, manager of Cuna de Platero, during the presentation of Fresh Picking.
The cooperative has made a collection pilot test on an earlier schedule in order to collect fruit that is fresher and is of better quality on very hot days, primarily during the months of April and May. To this end, in collaboration with Guru Energy, an engineering company specializing in energy efficiency located in the Science and Technology Park of Huelva, the cooperative designed lighting equipment based on LED technology and lithium batteries that is light, doesn't consume much power, has a long life, and emits an intense light that improves visibility of the fruit. During the pilot testing conducted by Cuna de Platero since February 2014, which has been highly successful, farmers have spoken about the advantages of this new collection system, as it allows them to work in more pleasant conditions and it improves the freshness and quality of the fruit that is collected, it is collected at an average temperature of 15ºC, increasing its consistency.
Jose Antonio Marquez, vice president of Cuna de Platero, said during the presentation of the collection system that, "Fresh Picking is a revolution in the field of berries because it changes the way we do things in the field, to give customers a better service and achieving better working conditions. At Cuna de Platero we know that to get different results you have to do things differently. To be more competitive, we have to differentiate ourselves and if anything characterizes our cooperative it is innovation. We work every day to offer consumers the freshest and most natural fruit and this new collection system intended for very hot days is a major step towards one of our main objectives: excellence."
With the implementation of Fresh Picking, Cuna de Platero remains committed to continuous improvement through research, development, innovation and sustainability; to remain a leading cooperative industry and to consolidate its position in the European markets.
Click here to see the harvesters at work