Industry-led programme could see labour savings of up to 90 per cent
Australia’s horticulture sector will invest in the latest in automation technology for pollinating, spraying, harvesting and packing to boost productivity.
The A$52mn programme will be delivered through Hort Innovation’s Frontiers investment initiative and led by Applied Horticultural Research and has co-investment from Flavorite, Apex Greenhouses, Costa Group, Applied Horticultural Research, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and Polybee.
It will help protected cropping growers maintain their profitability by advancing the industry’s approach towards sustainability, agronomy, automation, energy, employee skills and management.
The results are estimated to provide labour savings of up to 90 per cent, according to Hort Innovation.
“With more than A$20mn invested directly from growers in this programme, this industry-driven initiative holds immense potential for advancing the protected cropping sector in Australia,” said Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield.
“By embracing automation and technological advancements, growers can achieve greater sustainability, improve crop quality, and enhance profitability, paving the way for a more efficient and competitive future.”
Applied Horticultural Research managing director Gordon Rogers said the programme had been developed in close consultation with industry.
“Designing this programme has been a collaborative process with input from major growers, researchers and technology providers to ensure it is fit-for-purpose,” Rogers said.
The chief operating officer of glasshouse farming group Flavorite Chris Millis said the company is looking to employ a range of robotic solutions to revolutionise its pollinating, spraying, harvesting and packing operations.
“New technology will allow for the effective management of labour, enabling the redeployment of people or teams to other business-building activities that have previously been limited due to resource availability,” Millis said.
“We currently hand-pollinate 50ha of tomatoes grown in glasshouses six times per week for 41 weeks. If pollination could be mechanised, our labour requirements could be reduced by 80 per cent.”
Millis also sees potential savings in the packing process.
“Another example is packing, a labour-intensive activity that is a major cost in our business. Implementing an automated packing approach could save our business around A$2.4mn per year,” he said.
Costa Group general manager for avocados Cormac te Kloot said adopting the latest technology could see the avocado industry reach new heights.
“This programme will advance the avocado industry’s approach towards sustainability, agronomy, automation, energy usage, and improving staff skills and management,” te Kloot said.
“We have developed a new containerised, under-cover avocado production system where avocados are grown in containers filled with growing media under shade netting at high densities, instead of the conventional open field orchard production model.
“This research will fast track this new production model and help avocado growers compete in global export markets.”
Protected cropping Australia executive officer Julie Krieger said the programme focuses on key priorities identified in the Australian Protected Cropping Strategy 2021-2030.
“We set a vision for a thriving Australian protected cropping industry, which is positioned for growth, sustainability, prosperity and international competitiveness,” Krieger said.
“As part of the strategy, industry identified optimising fit-for-purpose, cost-effective technologies as a priority, as well as increasing knowledge, capacity and practice change, which this programme will address.”
