FAIRFIELD ORCHARDS - NEW ZEALAND

The foundations were laid in the 1930’s when the family first purchased the land and farmed tobacco, hops and sheep.

By the 80’s the Drummond’s had transitioned the land into a successful apple and kiwifruit orchard and packhouse. Today it is a large-scale operation across the Motueka and Tasman regions. The tipping point came in 2024 when the third generation, led by husband and wife team Aaron and Cherie Drummond, refurbished the packhouse, introducing a suite of technology and automation enhancements including five Āporo II robotic produce packers. The result? A 50% increase in productivity.

“Our timing was ideal for the market launch of the Āporo II as the highspeed upgrade of this technology meant we now have the ability to pack around 160 fruit per minute per drop .” explains Aaron. “This has contributed, alongside our other technology and automation enhancement across the packhouse, to a lift in throughput, from around 600 boxes of apples an hour to anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200. Add that to the significant labour savings we are making, and we are well positioned for the future.”

Cherie cites automation as one of the biggest wins in the industry. “Labour supply is one of the most critical issues for orchardists. It can make you or break you,” says Cherie. “The introduction of automation at Fairfield has meant we can reduce our packhouse staffing levels and redirect them to the orchard for harvesting. It also means we can consider opening up another revenue stream as a packhouse for other growers. So, it’s creating opportunities.”

The powerful Āporo II technology is recognised as the most advanced in its field, making it the market leader in loose fruit packing automation globally.

“The word simplicity comes to mind, when I think about the Āporo II,” says Aaron. “The machines are extremely intuitive and easy to operate.”

Installed by New Zealand agent Jenkins Freshpac Systems, Aaron says the wrap around support provided by the Jenkins team has been fundamental to the outcomes they’re achieving. “We worked closely with Jenkins to introduce the Āporo II technology into the packhouse and they have been incredibly good to deal with. They just get it. Yes, it’s about automation but the Jenkins team get to know your packhouse inside out and tailor a solution that fits. They have a long-term view on client relationships and that has really paid dividends for us in terms of return on investment.”

Driven by a passion for fruit growing, the family believe in the integration of new technologies to give them a leading edge.

“At every touchpoint we are looking at technology, innovation and sustainability to power up our orchard and packhouse,” says Aaron. “The Āporo II technology is fundamental to that. Quite simply, if the machines weren’t running, we’d be panicking. They’re pivotal to getting the throughout and efficiencies that are placing our packhouse where it is today.”