Seeka invests $5m in European packing tech

Seeka invests $5m in the latest European packing technology for Kiwifruit

Seeka Kiwifruit Industries Limited is to invest more than $5m in a new MAF Roda Agrobotic packline for harvest 2011. Seeka Chief Executive Michael Franks says the new MAF Roda Agrobotic machine will deliver smarter packing technology and will be used primarily in the packing of green kiwifruit.

“The kiwifruit industry must carefully handle this premium product while also delivering a more cost-efficient service to orchardists,” says Franks.

“This includes implementing smarter technology to minimise packing costs and fruit damage. A key driver to lower costs is being able to maintain high packline throughput irrespective of the product profile and pack type being used.
“To help achieve our objectives, we approached global suppliers of fruit packing technology to see how they could improve packline performance. We also had Seeka Development Manager Michael Ruegg in Europe to evaluate the best technology in the large European fresh produce industry. After careful assessment we selected MAF Roda of France as they will bring a raft of innovative ideas to our New Zealand operations.

“The MAF Roda Agrobotic packline is able to automatically regulate fruit flow to continuously achieve high packline performance. It also features new soft handling technology to ensure the fruit is handled with maximum care which gives us the flexibility to handle all types of kiwifruit.

“The new packline will be installed at Seeka’s Huka Pak facility in Totara Street in Mt Maunganui and will significantly boost the capacity of this central site.

The MAF Roda Agrobotic has a next-generation eight-lane pre-sizer with Globalscan camera defect grading. This feeds into a six-lane packline that uses automated speed packers and dynamic distribution bulk fillers to improve fruit handling and reduce labour costs.

|Franks says the “automatic grading at the pre-sizer along with advanced fruit flow technology, gives us the flexibility to maintain full packing production and simultaneously direct fruit to an automatic bin filler. This option of the bin filler will allow us to send fruit to China to be packed ready for retail at our Shanghai joint venture facility. Packing in China delivers a flexible low labour packing operation to further boost inventory performance.

“This significant investment in the new packline will lower labour costs and help us to further improve our efficiencies and service to orchardists. The machine will be commissioned prior to harvest 2011 and will be dedicated to packing the Hayward variety. We recognise that Hayward will continue to be the backbone of our industry and this smart use of technology will help improve financial returns to orchardists,” says Franks.
Seeka Kiwifruit Industries Limited handled 24.5m trays of export kiwifruit from harvest 2010. Publicly-listed on the New Zealand Exchange, Seeka manages about a quarter of New Zealand’s total export kiwifruit crop and had total revenue of $121m for the 2010 financial year.

Located is South-West France, MAF Roda is a global supplier of fruit and vegetable packing technology. From producing mechanical graders in 1962, MAF Roda has grown into a multi-national business with global sales approaching $200m a year.

ENDS

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