Packhouse processing software for fruit and vegetables to increase profit, reduce waste, manage quality, traceability, inventory, international standards.
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Ensuring accurate traceability and minimizing paperwork in the fresh produce industry is a challenge. To answer these challenges, farmsoft packhouse processing software provides a complete business management solution for fresh produce processors and marketers.

Farmsoft packhouse processing software manages all facets of the fresh produce process from incoming produce, to processing, sorting, grading, packing and even value adding. The functionality of farmsoft packhouse processing software is rounded off with comprehensive quality control, sales, dispatch, and invoicing functionality.

Farmsoft packhouse processing software provides comprehensive labeling, inventory management, pallet management, pallet control, audit functionality, quality control and other fresh produce tools to make every day business management easier.

Farmsoft packhouse processing software supercharges packhouse performance and reduces compliance costs.
Packhouse processing software
The farmsoft packhouse processing software consolidates the entire fresh produce packing and processing enterprise into one easy to manage solution. Managers can monitor the progress of orders, their fulfillment, & create work orders to deliver specific specific quality and specifications of produce for specific customer orders.

Packhouse supervisors and admin have all the documentation presented to them automatically when orders are ready to be shipped – ensuring that no one can ever forget to include a document with a shipment again.

Easily ensure standards are maintained with Quality control that standardizes quality tests, ensuring consistent and accurate classification of fresh produce, reducing incorrect categorization and presenting the opportunity to improve fresh produce handling processes. Pack shed / packhouse / factory managers can direct, order, and monitor work progress in real time, over multiple packhouses or sites if necessary.

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Automated pre-sizing process in water and automated robotic packing

Since the 1980s, Maf Roda Agrobotic has largely contributed to the evolution of the fresh fruit and vegetables grading sector by bringing grading machines from mechanical to electronic and automated systems. Maf Roda Agrobotic  has also developed the process of pre-sizing in water, allowing its customers to work in two stages with their products for better control of their stocks, cost reduction of their packaging and ensuring them a higher reactivity in response to market orders.

But pre-sizing also has a major asset in its modus operandi: it is automated upon entry of products in the packhouse, with bins being emptied with raw products picked in orchards and with no manipulation of the fruits by operators. The constitution of batches of defined categories is carried out gently and without hand contact, the fruits are transferred in water channels and automatically sent to new bins, automatically cleaned by a bin washer from our range, for their storage in cold-rooms before their packaging according to the received orders.

For the pre-sizing in water process, Maf Roda Agrobotic has been designing and producing water treatment and filtration systems for years, this year with new high performance solutions to fight against possible bacteria and viruses that may come from apples or orchards. Water used to convey apples goes through treatment and filtration units which use UV combined with hydrogen peroxide to remove pesticide residues, then through a disinfection process with chlorine dioxide to allow the water to be preserved without bacteria and viruses. These treatment and filtration units thus maintain conveying water with a quality close to that of drinking water. These solutions also have the advantage of operating with reduced water consumption and of presenting no rejects harmful to the environment.

To ensure a continuous process in order to guarantee product integrity and quality as well as health safety when they are packaged for sale, Maf Roda Agrobotic has designed the Line Pack, an automated robot packing machine. The pre-sized products are automatically packed in the trays to make 1-layer and 2-layer boxes as well as bushels.
Thanks to the orienters, the optical system positions the apples along the stem axis, the best color on top, in order to compose the most uniform trays possible.

Filling of the cells or trays is operated continuously by several robot heads in series, with gentle and controlled picking and placement of the products.

The automated robot packing Line Pack is the efficient and reliable answer to market demand and changes, with operations allowing to avoid any contact between the operator and the product. It allows capacities of up to 320 fruits per minute to be reached, i.e. up to more than 3.5 T / h on a configuration with 10 robots (5 on each side of the grader). And to guarantee at 100% the quality of the apples being packed, all fruit are analysed by the GlobalScan 7 electronic grading system, at the cutting edge of technology, to select only those products with no external defects. This analysis can be optimized with the added use of the internal quality control system IDD4, which will eliminate products with internal defects such as internal browning or water core.

In addition, its supervision is eased by a user-friendly and interactive Human-Machine Interface which makes it possible to easily manage the different packaging formats used in the packhouse.

Currently 4 apple packing lines equipped with the Line Pack have already been installed and are operational in France and abroad.
And new developments are nowadays underway to provide an adapted solution of the Line Pack for automatic packing of peaches and nectarines.

For more information:
Maf Roda
Tel: +33 (0)5 63 63 27 70
Email: maf@maf-france.com
www.maf-roda.com

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Smallholder Fresh Fruit Bunch Traceability

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The main thing is to have a system that is consistent and functional in case of a recall. New rules from FDA require that records be available within 24 hours. However, it's in everyone's interest to expedite tracking - for a lot of reasons that include public health, eliminating unnecessary removal of product and minimizing bad publicity.

The technology in question has existed for well over a decade; it scored its patent back in 1997 A University of Florida scientist named Greg Douillard invented a machine that etches” labels on the outermost surface of the fruit, using carbon dioxide to remove pigmentation. It's harmless and low-impact, and the New York Times trumpeted in 2005 Tattooed Fruit Is on Its Way”

If a produce item is suspected of being contaminated, the supplier recalls the product. Although most recalls are voluntary, others are required by government agencies such as the FDA. At the same time as the recall, suppliers generally implement corrective actions to protect consumers from potentially adverse effects of the product.

Fruit growers that want to be in compliance with the FSMA once it is fully enacted must be able to demonstrate that they are implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to prevent or mitigate identified food safety risks, and to be able to rapidly identify and isolate any source of the contamination. Growers will need to implement a traceability system that is consistent, speedy, and covers the entire production chain.

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Mahindra inaugurates grape packhouse facility in Nashik

Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd., a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, part of the USD 20.7 billion Mahindra Group, today inaugurated its grape packhouse facility in Nashik. The facility was inaugurated by Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

The grape packhouse facility is one of its kind in India and features the latest technologies that are available in post-harvest management of grapes. The grape packhouse facility will be instrumental in maintaining the freshness of the grapes, through an effective cold chain, from its arrival into the facility till it reaches customers in overseas markets.

According to Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., “The inauguration of this modern Packhouse is another significant step for our Agri Business. This facility is a testament to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and will further the cause of Delivering FarmTech Prosperity by helping Indian growers meet stringent global quality standards.”

Speaking at the inauguration of the new facility in Nashik, Ashok Sharma, MD & CEO, Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd., said, “We are delighted to bring this state-of-the-art packhouse for all the stakeholders in the grape value chain. This model facility will go a long way in building the confidence of international customers. With avant-garde refrigeration, processing and packing technology, this packhouse will enable us to ensure the highest quality supplies as per global standards.”

The Grape Packhouse facility can pack 90 tons of grapes per day and has been certified by international bodies such as BRC (British Retail Consortium), Fairtrade, SMETA (SEDEX), and the RFA (Rainforest Alliance) besides domestic certification by FSSAI and APEDA. The facility is housed within 6.5 acres of land with a total build up area of 75,000 sq ft. It has twelve pre-cooling chambers and 280 MT of cold storage capacity.

Sustainability is at the very core of this Mahindra grape packhouse facility. Energy efficient LED lights have been installed at all places and there is also a provision for captive solar power generation. A rain water harvesting system has been installed to collect and store upto 7 million litres of water. Amongst other sustainable solutions, there is an in-house sewage treatment plant which provides usable non-potable water for myriad purposes including gardening.

For more information:
Mohan Nair
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
Tel: + 91 22 28468510
www.mahindra.com

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New packing facility for ANB Investments

The Arisa Packhouse, located on the N2 at Buffeljags near Swellendam in the Southern Cape, has undergone a change in ownership. ANB Investments – a group with holdings in several South African agricultural companies – has recently acquired a 51 % stake in the Packhouse and it is planned that the facility will undergo refurbishment and technological upgrades. ANB Investments, also owns the global ClemenGold mandarin and LemonGold seedless lemon brands, and with the acquisition of the Arisa Packhouse, the company has increased its fruit packing capacity.

“Arisa Packhouse which is located centrally between the Western and Southern Cape Indigo Fruit Farming operations (the fruit producing arm of ANB Investments), will augment the capacity of the other two packhouses located in the region,” says Kabous Vryenhoek, General Manager. “With the increase in plantings of citrus in the area, combined with Indigo farms’ own citrus plantings in the Western Cape, there was a need to secure additional specialized packing capacity,” he adds. The Packhouse will in future be able to handle additional products including soft citrus and lemons, whereas in the past the 9,500 m2 facility largely focused on packaging persimmons, avos and plums from the surrounding farming communities. This ability to pack these various fruit types makes the packhouse unique and packing will take place over almost a 11-month period. More permanent jobs are therefore created.

ANB Investments acquired 51% of equity in Arisa Packhouse from KAV YAM, an Israeli investor, with the IDC (Industrial Development Corporation of SA) retaining the remainder of its shareholding in the Packhouse. The IDC’s Head of Agro-processing and Agriculture, Manoj Seonath, commented: “We are pleased to welcome ANB Investments as the new shareholder in this venture. We are certain that their experience and understanding of the agricultural dynamics of this region will be invaluable going forward.”

While the majority of the Group’s farming and packing operations are spread across South Africa, including in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, ANB Investments has been expanding its citrus production footprint to include the Western and Southern Cape. These regions offer an ideal climate for the production of especially soft citrus and lemons. The Western and Southern Cape areas are Black spot free and allow for entry into more diverse markets. The lateness of fruit from this area also effectively extends the company’s supply season by several weeks.

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New equity deal promises greater pack-house efficiency and automation

Two leading innovators are coming together to deliver a formidable range of automation services to post-harvest operators across Australasia who want to enhance efficiency, meet compliance needs and overcome labour shortages.

Following recent collaboration on a number of projects, Jenkins Group today announced they are taking a 50 per cent equity stake in CR Automation (CRA), an award-winning automation and control systems manufacturer based in Hawke’s Bay.

Jenkins Group is a key industry player throughout Australasia’s horticulture post-harvest industry with subsidiaries in New Zealand and Australia (Tauranga-based Jenkins Freshpac Systems Ltd and NSW-based J-Tech Systems PTY). The group provides an extensive range of labelling, packaging and handling systems to the fruit and vegetable industry across both countries.

Managing Director of Jenkins Group, Tony Sayle, says the combination of skills, products and services that the two organisations will now provide will be game-changing for the horticultural industry.

“The Internet of Things (IoT) and automation are clear requirements for our horticulture sector to excel and thrive in a global economy and soar through its ambitious target of being a $10 billion industry by 2020,” Sayle says.

“Jenkins Group Ltd has a long history of innovation and we have decided to invest in CRA to bring together our existing pack-line automation solutions with the cutting-edge integration and line management capability that CRA are renowned for delivering across Australasia and around the world.

“This new partnership will provide industry-leading produce handling capability to a post-harvest industry screaming out for efficiencies and solutions to its labour supply woes and escalating compliance needs.”

Sayle says product security, authenticity and traceability are becoming vital elements of the supply chain and Jenkins Group recognise the need to supply an increasing range of automation solutions to meet the changing demands of its clients.

“CR Automation are a world class developer and provider of automation and control systems. We’re impressed by their engineering capacity, and our horticultural clients will certainly benefit from their services and products. Together we intend to lead the field across post-harvest produce handling, FMCG production automation and municipal asset monitoring.”

CR Automation’s services encompass the food and beverage industry, water and wastewater, materials handling, cool storage, meat and wool processing and general manufacturing. Their capabilities range from machine safety through to electrical and software engineering, industrial IT, robotics and project management. Earlier this year they won the “Most Innovative Solution” award for ABB robotics at the ASIA Value Provider Conference 2019.

CR Automation Managing Director Peter Richards says the 18 year-old tech company has experienced exponential growth over the past three years and was looking for an equity partner who could help sustain that growth and ensure longevity.

“We wanted a partner founded on similar ideals who could also provide market access beyond our existing client base,” Richards explains. “Jenkins Group are a family-owned company with 136 years of success behind them. They are very client-focused and trade with a high level of integrity.

“Jenkins are across the industry challenges and want to provide solutions by extending their service offering so CR Automation will be delighted to help them do just that. We’re excited about what the future holds as the potential of both companies is realised through this new equity partnership.”

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