Western Australian berry growers innovate to grow
They decided on significant changes, one of the biggest was installing poly tunnels, which look like large canvas semicircle tunnels and cover the plant growing area. When they installed the poly tunnels about seven years ago, at the cost of about $80,000/ha, they were the first farm in Australia to use them in a large-scale way.
The innovation has increased yield, reduced pesticide use by 70% and also reduced fruit wastage. Anthony said the poly tunnel meant less fruit was weather damaged.
“It’s been the best thing we have done, our yield went through the roof.” Anthony Yewers stated.
They have also revolutionised the way they pick and pack the berries, by reducing the handling of the fruit from picking in the paddock to the consumer eating it.
They have special trolleys for the pickers in the paddock, who pack the strawberries straight into punnets, reducing the need for double handling in the packhouse.
“We are trying to reduce the amount of manhandling of the fruit.”
He estimates fruit damaged by packhouse staff, who used to rake through trays of fruit to put into punnets, has been reduced by 10-15 per cent.
source: weeklytimesnow.com.au
