AU: Company designs banana harvester

An Australian company says it's developed a mechanical banana harvester which could revolutionise the industry.

Bananas are one of the more labour intensive crops to harvest, with the fruit easily damaged if not handled with care.

Papyrus Australia is working on developing paper from banana plants, and now the company's Grant Pigot says it's created a harvester which can collect both the fruit and the fibrous trunk.

"Ultimately, this technology can be used to harvest banana fruit, in a very cost-effective way and ultimately meet the aim of the banana farmer, which is to bring their fruit back to the packing shed as quickly as possible and as cheaply as they can, and without any damage to the fruit itself," he says.


Source: abc.net.au

Publication date: 5/11/2009