Packing Services

Nothing is more frustrating than having to wait to pick fruit because of packing capacity constraints.  With nine graders on six sites across the wider Bay of Plenty region, EastPack has the capacity to pack 58 million trays of fruit.  This means Growers have the freedom to harvest fruit at a time which best suits them.

We always aim to maximise the amount of Class 1 trays from every bin of fruit because we know how important it is to Growers.  Near Infrared (NIR) grading technology is capable of measuring fruit; dry matter, brix, firmness, and colour, in real time as fruit is packed.  Although there are several benefits to NIR grading, the most significant is the ability to recover a portion fruit which has failed to meet Zespri dry matter requirements.  This allows Growers to achieve the highest possible Class 1 packout.

We’ve always been quick to adopt technology to improve Growers packing results because we know how much it improves their bottom line.  Spectrim is the latest photo grading technology which operates at over 99% accuracy by taking up to 500 images of every piece of fruit as it travels across the grader.  This gives us the ability to make the most of grade tolerances so Growers can achieve the highest possible Class 1 packout.

Growers tell us they like the opportunity to discuss aspects of their orchard business with other Growers.  This is why we host Grower events in each growing region at key times of the year.  Events include; technical fieldays, pre and post-harvest meetings, and other social events like regional Christmas parties.

Harvest decision is arguably the most important decision a Grower makes in the season.  We know how important it is to support Growers to make the best decision possible.  We offer tools which allow Growers to make objective decisions based on real data so they can make harvest decisions feeling confident in the best possible outcome.

Achieving great orchard production seems to get more challenging every season.  We have a dedicated team of technical specialists available to assist Growers whenever they are required.  There are also a range of technical resources available in the login section of the website.  This means Growers can feel safe in the knowledge that technical support is only a ‘click’ or a phone call away…

Sometimes Growers need to make important decisions in their orchard business and like support to make the best decision possible.  Whether it’s supporting due diligence on a property purchase, planning greenfield development, or converting to a new variety, Growers have access to people with specialised skills and experience.  This means Growers can approach decisions feeling confident.

Growers often like to benchmark how their orchard is performing compared to others in a similar region.  We provide Growers with reports so they can compare performance factors like; yield/ha, size profile, taste, and reject profile, to other orchards in their region.  This helps Growers decide which production factors they might focus on in future seasons.