ニュージーランド、タウランガ-2021年9月9日-生産者が主導し、政府が支援するロボットアスパラガスハーベスタープロジェクトは、進行中の労働課題を緩和することにより、ニュージーランドのアスパラガス産業を活性化する予定です。ニュージーランドアスパラガス評議会 （NZAC）とタウランガを拠点とする ロボティックスプラス
は 、ニュージーランドのアスパラガス生産者と協力して、世界初の商業規模の自律型ロボットアスパラガスハーベスターを開発し、業界で進行中の労働力不足に対処し、生産者が高水準で利用できるよう支援します。 -価値のある輸出市場。 政府の持続可能な食品および繊維先物（SFF先物）基金は、583万ドルのプロジェクトに260万ドルを寄付しています。
マンガウェカ・アスパラガスの栽培者であり、NZACの議長であるサム・レイニー氏は、次のように述べています。「ロボットによる収穫は、現在、手作業でアスパラガスを収穫することに大きく依存しているアスパラガス業界にとって、大きな変革をもたらすでしょう。平均的なピッカーは1日あたり10km歩くので、人々を引き付けて仕事をさせることは非常に困難です。市販のロボットハーベスターにアクセスできることは、コスト管理にも大いに役立ち、地元で栽培された新鮮なアスパラガスを皿に載せ続けることができます。」
Steve Saunders, CEO of Robotics Plus, said an autonomous asparagus harvester will alleviate labour constraints, reduce and stabilise costs, and allow New Zealand asparagus to have a more competitive offering in high-value export markets. “We’re excited to be working with growers and the New Zealand Asparagus Council to ensure we develop a solution that tackles challenges head-on and creates a better future for the asparagus industry. It’s an ideal robotics project as green asparagus is conducive to automation as it grows above ground. In addition, it replaces a physically arduous job that only has a brief employment window that growers struggle to attract harvesting labour for,” said Saunders.
The project builds on a prototype harvester robot developed by University of Waikato researchers with Robotics Plus. Over the last two seasons, Robotics Plus has supported the University of Waikato’s prototype asparagus harvester project led by Dr. Shen Hin Lim, Senior Lecturer in Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering and mainly assisted by PhD student Matthew Peebles and robotics engineer Josh Barnett, and mentored by Professor Mike Duke. The first prototype robotic asparagus harvester was demonstrated in California in 2019, and the second iteration was trialled in Waikato last year. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) supported the University of Waikato research programme, and Callaghan Innovation supported the PhD fellowship, prototypes and trials.
Saunders added, “These early prototypes have given Robotics Plus great insights into creating a next-generation commercial-scale asparagus harvester and has helped generate strong interest from the asparagus industry. With support from the Ministry for Primary Industries, who run the SFF Futures fund, New Zealand Asparagus Council, and ongoing support from the University of Waikato and other partners, we will deliver automation to the asparagus industry at a time when it desperately needs to remain sustainable and keep up with consumer demand for fresh produce.”
Advancing the project to a commercially available asparagus harvester will help increase grower returns and exports, says grower Geoff Lewis of Tendertips. “However, it’s not just the picking that is important; it’s all the other aspects this technology can bring to the industry, such as yield data and potential add-ons such as packing and even weeding!”
New Zealand Asparagus Council will develop a strong marketing proposition for exporting. NZAC Business Manager, Karen Orr, said, “The New Zealand asparagus industry needs to be able to export some of their produce during peak season in late October and November. Being able to export excess produce is crucial for grower returns, and the future of domestic asparagus growing. As part of this project, we’ll be creating a unique selling proposition for New Zealand grown asparagus overseas to generate export revenue for the country.
“Half of the cost of producing asparagus is labour. We had thriving asparagus exports in the 80s and 90s, but that has reduced to almost no exports due to increasing costs, particularly for labour. There hasn’t been any investment in the industry’s future because grower returns have been decreasing.
「それが、このプロジェクトを「アスパラガスフューチャー」と名付けた理由です。このプロジェクトは私たちの未来だからです。生産者が RoboticsPlus およびMPIと協力して、この自律的な作物管理プロジェクトで将来の道を切り開くのを支援します。」
新鮮なアスパラガスは世界市場シェアの74％以上を占め、年複利成長率は3.1％です。これは北米全体で最も急速に成長している生鮮市場の野菜であり、2027年までに生鮮市場の評価額は300億米ドル近くになると予測されています。
2022-03-29