FARMASSIST WITH HALL HUNTER
Heatlands Farm, Berkshire
The soft fruit farming industry in the United Kingdom is experiencing a growing need for logistics automation to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving market. As consumers increasingly seek fresh, locally-sourced produce, soft fruit farms are under pressure to optimise their operations and reduce costs. Automation is emerging as a critical solution to address these challenges.
Soft fruit farms are grappling with an increased demand from health-conscious consumers and the need to increase efficiency in harvesting, farm logistics, sorting, packaging, and distribution processes. Traditional manual labour methods are becoming less feasible due to rising labour costs and workforce shortages, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war.
“Fox Robotics was one of the first few who identified and set about addressing the need to automate farm logistics tasks—working closely with Hall Hunter Partnership Farms, one of the largest soft fruit farms in the UK, to improve their existing technology and autonomous rough terrain robot – Hugo RT TM, specifically designed to work outdoors to support farms with any logistics activities.
During the summer of 2023, Hall Hunter trialled one of the robots in its bustling farm environment, full of pickers and farm machinery. Hugo RT TM‘s hardware capabilities were tested by transporting 22.8 tonnes of picked fruit under all weather conditions.
This trial aimed to submit Hugo RT TM to full-time working hours and assess its potential to transport produce during the busiest period for farms.
In addition to efficiency and cost benefits, logistics automation can contribute to environmental sustainability, as Hugo RT TM is a fully electric and rechargeable robot that doesn’t require fuel.
Henry Acevedo, Founder and CTO of Fox Robotics, said:
“Over the past three years, we have developed an innovative solution for logistics activities for horticultural farms, with the concept of removing the need for humans to carry out these tasks and transferring their availability to activities that cannot be automated with such precision or efficiency, such as autonomous soft fruit picking. During this time, we’ve worked closely with Hall Hunter Partnership Farm, which has supported our work and journey towards making a significant positive change to the agricultural industry.”
Alana Deacon, Head of Operations at Hall Hunter Partnerships, said:
“ Given the increasing annual rise in the minimum wage, our expenditure on harvest labour remains one of our primary cost concerns. To address this issue, it is imperative that we collaborate with pioneering technology firms to explore viable solutions aimed at diminishing our dependence on labour and subsequently reducing our overall expenditure. The trial conducted at Hall Hunter this Autumn with Fox Robotics has yielded valuable insights and highlights the potential for the robot in the future”
ABOUT HALL HUNTER:
Empowering People to Realize their Full Potential.
We are a company centred on passion and ambition to be the best we can, so that we can always produce the very best berries for the UK. We pride ourselves on using our skills and expertise to grow premium berries responsibility
https://hallhunter.com
ABOUT FOX ROBOTICS
Fox Robotics Limited is an autonomous robotics and farm services solutions provider focussed on agriculture and farming logistics, primarily focusing on soft fruit, working closely with large fruit farms across the UK, who share our vision of revolutionising the soft fruit industry.
https://fox-robotics.com
CONTACT
For Corporate Affairs and Public Relations matters, please contact :
Alejandra Acevedo,
Business Development and Marketing Manager
E: Alejandra.Acevedo@fox-robotics.com
Christian Gordon-Pullar,
Chairman, Fox Robotics Ltd
E: Christian.Gordon-Pullar@fox-robotics.com