Potato Review

46 POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 INDUSTRY UPDATES AVR has further developed its technology platform for data collection by collaborating with Dacom Farm Intelligence. It’s now possible for parcel data to be linked to the machine data. e objective is to reduce the cultivation costs and contribute to a sustainable food production using targeted recommendations originating from secure links between AVR Connect and the Dacom* Cloudfarm application. From now on, AVR Connect can easily be used to create a secure link to the Dacom Cloudfarm package (provided that the farmer is subscribed to Dacom Cloudfarm). e AVR machine data can automatically be transferred to Cloudfarm, and the eld data can automatically be read in by AVR Connect. is package is available as an option on the AVR Puma 3, Puma 4.0 and Ceres 440 or 450. TOMRA Food has published an eBook to help potato fresh packers tackle operational challenges intensi ed by the COVID-19 pandemic. e 19-page publication, downloadable free-of-charge from the company’s website, o ers information and advice which will be helpful to packhouses not only now, while market conditions are distorted, but also long after the pandemic has passed. e eBook starts by acknowledging that the damage in icted on the potato industry by COVID-19 is not even- handed. While many potato growers and processors have su ered because of loss of demand from foodservice outlets, other growers and packers are thriving because retail sales of fresh pack potatoes have been boosted by the increased frequency of home-cooking. e eBook reports how the monetary value of potato sales at multiple-outlet supermarkets quickly increased by 67%. THE director of a packaging company that works extensively with potato and fresh produce packers has celebrated 21 years’ service by nalising a ve- gure expansion project that will increase his company’s production facility by 25%. Andy Beal joined GIC in Gainsborough at the end of August 1999, becoming the packaging machinery manufacturer’s managing director following a management buyout in 2007, and has since signed o on the building of a new mezzanine oor at GIC’s factory, which will add 100 square metres to the company’s production area. e need for extra space has been fuelled by a record-breaking year, in which demand for GIC’s vertical form ll and seal packaging machines has grown by 60%. “ e business has grown signi cantly and this year is looking like it will be our best ever 12 months. Despite the pandemic, we’ve seen enquiries and orders increase, and this has meant we’ve had to increase the size of our factory and take on a new apprentice,” said Andy. OPENING doors for easy access to farm fresh produce on a local, regional and global scale, the team at Croply have developed a community focused online marketplace that is not only starting to answer both the food security and sustainability issues many communities face, but also provides extensive business and educational resources to help farms develop their businesses as they grow online. Croply.org is a complete solution for farm owners all around the world who are looking to grow their business online by connecting them direct with customers who search through Croply for local farm produce. Creating a custom e-commerce store (in just minutes) is simple and intuitive, and Croply provides farm business owners the opportunity to bridge the gap between them and their communities, increasing visibility, sales, and developing improved repeat custom. Less cultivating equipment required by combining field and machine data New E-book for potato fresh packers Swiss start-up helps grower community with new web platform GIC director’s company ‘coming of age’