When you think of New Zealand, you think of kiwi fruit, but recently New Zealand apples have been sold in regular supermarkets. It has also become common to see New Zealand-grown pumpkins and corn.
Harvesting these crops requires a lot of manpower. This work, which can only be done for a limited period of time, is actually dependent on workers from overseas, such as Fiji and Tonga, students, and people staying on working holidays. However, with the border closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become difficult to secure manpower. The lack of manpower has led to a major problem of unharvested crops rotting in the fields.
This is not just a New Zealand problem; in the UK, a national campaign called " PICK for BRITAIN " has been launched to ask for help. Prince Charles himself has sent out the message that "We need a lot of people to harvest the UK's fruits and vegetables."
*The video is currently private.
"Harvesting robot" developed in New Zealand is a hot topic
As some places give up on harvesting, a harvesting robot developed by New Zealand company Robotics Plus is attracting attention as a solution to the labor shortage.
This is an article written by Steven Saunders, founder of Rootics Plus, which was featured on the BBC in the UK.
→ The robots that can pick kiwi-fruit
According to the article, "Inquiries started coming in as soon as the lockdown began."
Here's a video of a kiwifruit harvesting robot: The robot moves around the farm, recognizes the fruit and picks it.
Kiwifruit grow in a hanging position, which makes them easy for robots to harvest, but the company also plans to apply this technology to many other fruits.
For over 10 years, Robotics Plus has been developing robots that can move around farms, recognize and harvest fruit. They also have robots that can not only solve the labor shortage but also automate the process of fruit shipping.
For example, a robot that packs apples into boxes places the apples that come down a conveyor belt on a tray and recognizes which ones are the most colorful. It can pack 120 apples per minute, and is not only faster than a human, but also less likely to damage the fruit.
Zespri, Jazz Apple and other New Zealand fruit brands are popular in Japan
Zespri , which is familiar from TV commercials and has a well-established character, is a kiwi fruit export and sales company headquartered in New Zealand. This company may have played a major role in establishing the idea that "New Zealand is all about kiwi fruit."
There are also some unique recipes using kiwi fruit.
At Bokumo , you can enjoy a truly New Zealand cocktail made with kiwi fruit and Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand's signature wine.
[New Menu] "Fresh Kiwi🥝 Cocktail" made with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc✨ pic.twitter.com/QgjW7ysnfi
— Bokumo🍷Staff (@bokumo_nagoya) June 26, 2020
Another apple that has become popular recently is the high-quality New Zealand Jazz Apple . It is a small, crunchy apple with a refreshing acidity.
This video shows the vast farm and the process from harvesting to shipping.
I'm sure there are many Japanese people who have stayed in New Zealand on a working holiday who have done part-time work harvesting fruit. I hope we can enjoy more of New Zealand's delicious produce in Japan!
