Technology news from Fresh Produce Journal
Technology news stories with a direct relevance to the UK fresh produce business, including updates on production and harvesting systems, sorting and grading machinery, packaging, coldstorage and controlled atmosphere, digital management, robots and automation, vertical farming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Tesco opens applications for ninth annual Agri-Tech Challenge
Retailer invites innovators to submit solutions that might help build more resilient, sustainable and productive food supply chains
Certification matters for compostable claims, says Sinclair
Sinclair’s Duncan Jones discusses sustainability claims, consumer understanding, and the value of transparency and clarity
Oranges and chickpeas will be ‘viable UK crops’ under warming climate
Water storage, adaption to sustainable farming and increased domestic production are critical if the UK is to maintain farming viability and food security, according to government climate report
AgriSound wins Innovate UK funding for strawberry pollination project
The project brings together AgriSound, PheroSyn, and Oakford Farm to tackle pollination challenges in UK strawberry production
Growers to receive £1.9 mn in legacy AHDB grants
Funding will be distributed via 22 sector trade bodies for three-year projects that support innovation and resilience
New UV-C technology cuts fungicide use in Belgian strawberries by up to 80 per cent
The cutting-edge system is now being used in 50 per cent of the tabletop strawberries grown in Flanders
OAL lands £5mn Innovate UK loan to scale up food manufacturing robotics
Five-year programme will support commercial rollout of fenceless robots that work alongside people on packhouse and food manufacturing production lines
Port of Dover wins new ranking on BRCGS storage and distribution standard
The Port of Dover Cargo has been awarded a Grade A for its renewed BRCGS global standard for storage and distribution after continual improvement to its quality management and infrastructure
Precision crop tech ‘could bring many benefits’ to Wales
Potato farmer and NFU Cymru hort chair Tom Rees explains why Welsh politicians must back the technology
Fieldwork Robotics partners with Dynium
Collaboration will provide growers with greater flexibility and enable Fieldwork’s robots to tackle steeper inclines and wider terrain ranges
SUBSCRIBE TO FRESH PRODUCE JOURNAL
The Fresh Produce Journal is the UK's leading source of fruit and vegetable industry news and analysis.
Subscribe and get 10 issues per year. Plus newsletters and full digital access.
£50mn in funding to deliver innovative agri-tech tools
Farming minister Angela Eagle announces new public-private investment scheme
Riverford ‘doubles throughput’ with new packing machines
Vex box firm has seen good results from installing GIC4100 machines
Tesco trials AI assistant to help people write their shopping lists
UK’s largest supermarket develops AI-powered shopping assistant to offer personalised recipe ideas and automated basket creation
Importaco and AgriSound collaborate on regenerative farming project
Food group partners with UK’s AgriSound to gauge impact of regenerative farming on pollination and crop performance in almond orchards
Study looks at factors driving Colorado potato beetle outbreaks
A comprehensive Michigan State University has revealed new insights into the environmental factors driving Colorado potato beetle populations
Finding the right technology in the berry business
Expert speakers at Fruitnet Berry Congress, which took place in London on 19 March, highlighted the potential of various technological solutions to address issues surrounding labour, energy, quality and waste in the berry category
Tevel secures funding for flying robot harvesters
Israel-based agritech company raises US$18m in Series C funding as it works to address labour shortages in fruit supply chains
AgroFresh raises prices as conflict drives up costs
Shelf-life extension specialist implements ‘global price adjustment’ to cope with increasing input inflation
Syngenta invests £100m in UK crop protection research hub
The new biotech and research centre will bring together 300 scientists working with cutting-edge AI technology to fast-track new crop protection products
Berry business faces up to new challenges as growth continues
Investment in varieties, segmentation, marketing and technology will help build more profitable berry business, delegates heard at Fruitnet Berry Congress