The Maf Roda group recently organized an expedition to the United States, the main exporter of cherries to China in the Northern Hemisphere, and invited a select group of Chilean fresh cherry packers to showcase its latest sorting and automation technology for fresh cherry packing. Among the innovations presented there were filling and sealing solutions not yet available on the market which promise to revolutionize the sector.
During this expedition, two well-known growers and packers in the state of Washington, in the northwest of the United States, were visited: Washington Cherry Growers and Gebbers Farm. These companies, which are leaders in the region, as well as exporters to China, talked about their work models and shared some details about their operations, from cultivation to processing and the export or sale of cherries in the domestic market.
The Chilean exporters had the opportunity to explore the facilities and talk to the managers and owners. The visits proved to be an enriching experience, allowing both parties to exchange impressions and compare operations in different parts of the world.
"Chilean exporters were surprised by the high production per hectare and the considerable share of cherries shipped by air, compared to the Chilean market," said a Maf Roda representative. "The U.S. market is characterized by its high production and speedy processing for immediate delivery to China, which requires highly efficient facilities for sorting and packing."
"Both packers have opted for our technology because of its reliability and adaptability, as well as the qualitative advancement achieved with the new Cherryscan G7 and Cherryway IV quality and sizing system. The Maf Roda systems, with their four-motion rotation and advanced quality system with multispectral cameras and Artificial Intelligence, have solved one of the main problems of other systems: the interference of the pedicel in the image processing and visualization of the apical area of cherries. This patented technology has been crucial in the purchasing decision, as it offers much better accuracy than any other system available," says Maf Roda.
The Chilean exporters had the chance to visit facilities equipped with 2 and 3 parallel graders of 28 and 42 lanes, respectively, handling various cherry varieties, including the Rainier.
The cherries in this technological solution are placed crosswise, making it possible to rotate them 360ยบ. The technology allows capturing images of the cherry's entire surface, including the apical area, with multispectral cameras at different wavelengths without interference from the stalk, improving reliability and precision in the analysis.
Besides the quality systems, other innovative technologies were presented that allow a fully automatic packing process, from the emptying to the palletizing, including the automation of quality sampling. These solutions, which are part of Maf Roda's approach to maximizing efficiency, include advanced production management systems, packaging systems in a multitude of formats, palletizing centers and cutting-edge technology, such as autonomous vehicles and robots.
"The expedition highlighted the good rapport between Chilean and U.S. exporters, all of whom were eager to learn and share knowledge. This experience has been truly valuable, given that the Chilean market is at the forefront of post-harvest technological advances for cherries. Learning about and comparing global realities enrich the industry and encourage the development of new ways to improve production and competitiveness," said Maf Roda.
For more information:
Maf Roda
www.maf-roda.com