Public Funding for Matrix Agri Vision Limited

UK Vegetable producers (such as potatoes, beetroots, swedes, carrots, cabbages and onions are hindered by poor quality and short storage life of produce damaged during harvest, resulting in a reliance on imports from the continent to ensure that domestic demand is met, such as: potatoes (import value of £51.6M, 2016); onions (£191M); carrots (£46.6M). With the increasing challenges of food security for a growing UK population and the continuing uncertainties surrounding Post-Brexit import tariffs and Covid related disruption, it is crucial that the UK agricultural industry and rural economy innovates in order to ensure greater efficiency, self-sufficiency and green growth. Harvesting of root crops is an aggressive process and the minimising of damage is reliant on the observations and skill of a harvester operator. Our approach to this challenge is the development and demonstration of an innovative vision-based technology, CropVision, in order to detect damage post-topping of root vegetables in the harvester, in real-time. This phase 1 technical feasibility study and follow-on phase 2 prototype development and testing project will improve agricultural and food production business and industry efficiency and "building back better" by reducing food damage during harvest and storage (brought about by damaged crop causing rotting of undamaged crop during storage) and therefore positively impacting on productivity and profitability. We anticipate this system will allow users to harvest higher quality (less damaged) produce with longer storage life potential, reducing our imports, minimising food waste, and the associated environmental effects. It will also enable growers to generate greater revenues through extending the supply season and allowing them to differentiate produce based on quality.