The Government is backing a $5 million project to develop a commercial-scale autonomous robotic asparagus harvester, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today.
The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures) is contributing $2.6 million to the project. Project partner Robotics Plus Limited (RPL) will build on a prototype asparagus harvesting robot developed by Waikato University researchers, and the New Zealand Asparagus Council will develop a strong marketing proposition for exporting the asparagus.
Damien O’Connor said the harvester will help address the ongoing labour shortages in the asparagus industry and support New Zealand asparagus growers to tap into high-value export markets.
SFF Futures is administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries. Through the fund, the Government has to date co-invested more than $150 million into 157 projects worth almost $299 million in total.
