Cuna de Platero S.C.A. remains at the forefront of the berry sector with Fresh Picking, the innovative fresh fruit harvesting system introduced last season during the hottest days of the campaign. The firm presented this breakthrough at Fruit Attraction's Innova Forum, showing its main advantages. "With Fresh Picking, we are equipped with an optimal and efficient harvesting solution for days that are expected to be very hot. With its implementation, we have improved the quality and freshness of the fruit, as well as the working conditions of our labourers, avoiding the hottest hours," said Juan Báñez, general manager of the cooperative during the presentation of Fresh Picking.
For her part, Ela Daher, of the export sales department at Cuna de Platero, said"it is another step towards excellence: all processes are sped up, allowing us to get the product earlier to supermarket shelves in nearby destinations; the fruit does not deteriorate during the harvesting process and spends fewer hours in a cool chamber before handling, resulting in significant energy savings."
With the goal of harvesting more and better quality fresh fruit in very hot days, mainly during the months of April and May, the cooperative has been making use of the harvesting system on an earlier schedule. To this end, it has designed lighting equipment based on LED technology and lithium batteries in partnership with Guru Energy, an engineering company specialised in energy efficiency based in the Science and Technology Park of Huelva.
Fresh Picking was launched last season, following a number of tests carried out since February 2014, and has been highly successful. Growers have shown the advantages of this new harvesting system that allows for more pleasant working conditions while improving the freshness and quality of the fruit, which is harvested at an average temperature of 15 °C, thus increasing its consistency.
Juan Báñez said during his speech that "Fresh Picking is a revolution for the entire berry sector, because it changes the way we do things in the field to provide a better customer service while improving the working conditions. At Cuna de Platero we are convinced that in order to obtain different results, you have to do things differently. To be more competitive, we have to differentiate ourselves, and if we had to name anything that characterises our cooperative, it would be innovation. We work every day to offer consumers the freshest and most natural fruit, and with this new harvesting system we are taking a major step toward our main objectives: excellence and sustainability."
With the implementation of Fresh Picking, Cuna de Platero remains committed to continuous improvement through research, development, innovation and sustainability, which are keys to remaining the leading cooperative and consolidating its position in the European markets.