Source: New Zealand Government
The Government is backing a research programme to drive productivity and improve profits in the apple industry, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced at the Horticulture New Zealand Young Grower of the Year competition in Cromwell on Friday.
“The project will develop hyperspectral imaging technology (light-based scanning that sees inside fruit without cutting into it) to understand what is going on under the skin of an apple, as it enters the packhouse and during storage,” says Mr McClay.
“Better information about internal defects and fruit quality could help exporters make earlier decisions about storage, packing and when to ship them out. That means more chance of fruit reaching markets in top condition with less waste.”
The Government is investing $1.84 million through the Primary Sector Growth Fund, with the project lead – Auckland agritech company Hectre – contributing the balance of the $4.6 million project over three years.
Hectre already collects sizing, colour, and quality data from billions of pieces of fruit each year. The new programme extends its research from surface characteristics to understand what is going on inside an apple, including maturity, starch content and firmness. That usually requires someone cutting into and sampling fruit, which is slow, destructive and imprecise. The new technology aims to scan fruit at commercial throughput speeds in the packhouse, giving operators real-time data.
Mr McClay says this type of innovation is essential for the horticulture sector to grow. “The Government investment will help bring this technology to market sooner, giving our apple industry a competitive advantage and support stronger growth across the sector.”
The programme aims to develop a proof-of-concept algorithm targeting at least 80 per cent detection accuracy by June 2027, and a packhouse prototype validated under commercial conditions by June 2028.
“The apple and pear industry contributes more than $1 billion to New Zealand’s economy each year and supports jobs and communities across our regions,” says Mr McClay.
“Projects like this demonstrate how smart investment in science, technology and innovation can improve productivity, strengthen export performance and create new opportunities for New Zealand agritech companies on the global stage.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/28/agritech-project-to-lift-apple-productivity/