COMPLETE
SORTING
Aweta grading and packaging BV is a global leader in the design and manufacture of packing and sorting systems for fruit, vegetables and flowers. Philip Yorke talked to Jean Luc Delcasse, the company’s CEO about its innovative new products and its latest company restructuring programme.
SOLUTIONS T
he Aweta Group is based in the Netherlands where it began by producing packing and sorting systems for greenhouse tomatoes almost 50 years ago. Today the Aweta Group occupies a leading position in sorting equipment worldwide. All the company’s manufacturing, sales and logistics offices are located in major fruit, vegetable and flower producing areas. Furthermore, all the specialised sorting equipment is designed, developed, assembled and tested in-house. Innovation has for many years been part of the company’s culture and the key to Aweta’s success. All over the world, Aweta’s researchers are collectively working on new systems and software programs based on a broad knowledge of advanced sorting technologies and automation techniques.
The leading specialist in post-harvest technology The face of agriculture is changing fast and often driven by consumers who demand ever better quality fruit and vegetables. The consumer is also demanding new, innovative packaging that is more eco-friendly and sustainable in character. Here Aweta’s strength 130 Industry Europe
lies in its ability to think internationally, whilst at the same time being able to adapt to the specific characteristics and changing demands of each market. In the agriculture sector, the ability to think global and act local is more than an advantage for Aweta, it is a necessity if it is to move ahead with the times. Delcasse said. “Recently we have undergone a major restructuring programme that has made us an even more flexible and efficient company. We are now able to present to market one common platform whether it’s greenhouse, kiwi, citrus or apple produce. In fact we can now include mango, avocado, pomegranate and lots of other produce on the same platform which gives an advantage in term of quality (reliability), service (local support) and price by the quantity of platform units built and installed all over the world. The big difference between us and our competitors is that we grew up in three sectors; Aweta G&P in Holland in the greenhouse sector, Aweta Sistemi, spa in the apple and kiwi sectors and Aweta Autoline, in the citrus sector, this has put us way ahead of the competition.” “In addition, we have maintained our leading position as the biggest supplier of sorting and
packing equipment for greenhouse growers worldwide. We have a strong presence in the global market for all types of fruit, vegetables and flowers, as well as for exotic fruits such as avocados and mangoes. Our technology is the best on the market. We can look inside an apple, an avocado or inside an orange without touching it. Our sensors can detect the smallest amount of decay or browning and we can make clear, concise separation between 1st quality produce, 2nd market or juice products and 3rd quality, throw-away produce with total accuracy and reliability.” Delcasse added, “A recent example of how our technology helped a local fruit producer was when a pear farmer discovered that most of his pears came out of the cold store with damage inside. We helped him to detect the problem in the pears and what was causing it, then we worked out a reliable solution and built a machine within six weeks to overcome his problem. This was a serious problem that was devastating his business. We are talking about 4,000 tons of pears being affected and we were able to help him to save his crop and his business and return him to profitability in less than two months.”
