Spain has about 50,000 hectares of broccoli crops that produce 600,000 tons of product a year, 90% of which is exported to Europe. This positions Spain as a leader in broccoli production in Europe. Despite the significant increase in broccoli consumption, which has increased tenfold since 2010, harvesting this crop remains a challenge due to the need for manual selection to ensure optimal maturity. This manual process accounts for approximately 12% of production costs, which has led many producers to abandon this crop.
Faced with this problem, AIT, a Tudela company founded in 1997, set out to develop an innovative solution for harvesting broccoli. After several years of research and development, and with the collaboration of the Cordovan company Moresil, AIT has created a harvesting machine capable of covering the width of the tractor, designed to collect broccoli without damaging the product. This project required an investment of nearly one million euros. The machine has already been tested and improved, reaching a speed of three kilometers per hour in 2023, which allows harvesting large areas with a minimum cost maximizing the producers' profitability.
AIT also works on machine vision, machine learning, and robotic systems. The company has a team of twenty people and has managed to export 90% of its equipment, mainly to North America. It collaborates with large companies in the IV range sector such as Taylor Farms and Curation Foods. Despite the difficulties in the European and Spanish markets in recent years, AIT has ambitious plans for the future, including expanding its sales in the domestic market and developing new business lines to increase its total turnover to more than 5 million by 2024.
This advance represents a significant milestone in the agricultural sector, offering a definitive and revolutionary solution for the broccoli harvest, and positioning AIT as a leader in agricultural innovation in Spain and abroad.
Source: navarracapital.es