The 2023 kiwifruit season marked the first use of a new $28 million grader at EastPack’s Quarry Rd packhouse. The new grader is part of the ongoing investment in post-harvest tech as EastPack prepares for anticipated increases in kiwifruit volumes.
EastPack CEO Hamish Simson: “Despite a couple of slightly lower yield years, the reality is the orchards are still being planted, the vines are coming on and the fruit is still coming. So, for us, we’re working on a multi-year plan to have the capacity for when the fruit comes.”
He says the new grader represents another step forward both for that plan, and in the automation process. After a couple of pandemic-affected seasons, the new grader was to be up and running for an expected bumper season in 2023.
“But the reality is, with the warm winter, poor flowering and frosts, we’re about 20 per cent below what our target for this year was going to be, which was a bit over 50 million trays,” says Hamish. “So we are packing about 40 million [this season], but next year looks like about 54 million trays, if things get back to normal. And by normal, I mean average yields.
Source: nzherald.co.nz