Public Funding for Pattenden Machinery Limited

Aims - To develop a machine that will significantly increase the hand pickinQ\ output of Raspberries grown in polytunnels. The availability of picking labour is becoming the biggest problem facing growers. If the issue is not resolved crops will increasingly remain unharvested and will rot in the fields. A successful project will result in a machine with a small crew that will reduce the harvesting labour by a targeted 40%. Deliverables - pre-production prototype drawing and specification for production procedures for operation Test report following field trials Reasons for the work - The Raspberry is a very delicate fruit that is easily damaged by wind, rain, excess heat, mishandling and inappropriate storage. Growing the fruit in polytunnels reduces the risk of damage from the weather and will help to sustain the industry in changing climatic conditions. The delicate nature of the fruit means that it must be hand picked, but finding picking labour is becoming the growers' biggest problem. If the industry is to survive it must find a solution to the labour problem. The aims of the project are to reduce the picking labour for Raspberries grown in polytunnels by 40% and to reduce imports, which in recent years have impacted UK homegrown sales, so reducing food miles.