News release: Fachaux cherry grading equipment arrives on the New Zealand market

Fachaux cherry grading equipment arrives on the New Zealand market. For the cherry season 2008-2009, Fachaux (www.anz.fachaux.com), a France-based company, sold its flagship equipment to a large cherry grower in the Central Otago region of New Zealand. The equipment has received several awards for innovation and Fachaux holds a global patent on the system.Indeed, the machine uses a fruit-friendly water-based system to separate cherries in cluster. Unlike with other mechanical processes, the stems are not cut halfway, but naturally separated at the junction, ready for singular size or colour grading of the cherry. This process improves the aspect and shelf life of the end produce (long green stem), and dramatically reduces the surface pitting compared to traditional cluster cutter (main reason for pitting during grading and packaging operations according to a study published by the Washington State University, USA).Leading cherry growers in the world (Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Spain, USA) have adopted the technology since its launch in 2001. Fachaux entered the Australian market in 2007, and is confident that more Australian & New Zealand growers will follow suit next season.More details on the equipment: Water hydraulic cherry cluster separator