At B&B Fruit, the Pickstar 4.0 has been in operation since this week. The electric harvester, previously used mainly for harvesting hard fruit, has now been adapted for harvesting plums. This makes the Bunt family the first in the Netherlands to do so, reports NFO.
On the farm in Herveld, a harvester from the Polish company Grunner has been in use for some time. According to Erik Bunt, the operating principle is the same as that of the Pickstar 4.0. "But the latter is electrically powered and built a bit more simply. We believe and hope that this will make it less prone to breakdowns. After all, the more complex a machine is, the more that can go wrong. The machine has battery packs that can be charged via a plug, and with a full charge, it can run for two days. In addition, it has a generator that can also charge the batteries."
Higher harvesting performance and better working conditions
The machine is equipped with four conveyor belts. Harvest workers, standing on raised platforms, place the picked plums on these belts. The plums are then transported into a large bin. When the bin is full, it is lowered using a lift. The bin is then manually removed from the lift, and a new one is placed. "Two of the belts are at the bottom of the machine, two at the top. We could also add belts at the intermediate platforms; that's an option for the future."
According to Bunt, the harvest workers only need to focus on picking and can work continuously. "This allows us to harvest almost twice as many kilos per hour. Picking performance increases considerably, and we can closely monitor what goes over the belt and address workers if there are too many leaves, for example."
Bunt notes that this efficiency depends on the crop being well-laden. "If there are gaps, yields quickly drop. But that's true for all harvesting systems."
© NFO
Finer work
In addition to higher productivity, Bunt says the machine improves working conditions. "The staff enjoy picking with the machine. And because it's electrically powered, it's silent. The fact that people enjoy their work means a lot to us."
The harvesting machine also allows the plum trees to be picked clean in a single pass. "That's healthier for the tree, as it recovers better. Another plus is that the machine is Dutch-made. Supplier Inventtech can be on-site quickly if an unexpected problem arises. The machine can also be converted into an aerial work platform, making it useful in spring for pruning."
Good driver needed
Does the machine have any drawbacks? "So far, we mostly see positives," says Bunt. "Of course, the machine is a significant investment. And you need a good driver – someone who understands the technology and has a feel for plum picking and working with people. Beyond that, I can't think of much. I say 'reasonably' satisfied because we still have to see how it performs in the longer term. But so far, it's running smoothly."
Source: NFO