A TASMANIAN cherry orchard has adopted picker tracking technology in order to tackle new piece-rate payment requirements.
Cherries Tasmania Orchards implemented AgPick Technology at the start of its harvest in December to help keep better track of workers' hours and output.
The program tells growers who picked their fruit, uploading the information in real time, while also telling the shed what's coming from the field including fruit type, volumes and grade.
In November last year, the Fair Work Commission maintained the ability for farmers to pay workers on the Horticulture Award piece-rates, but instituted a guaranteed minimum casual rate of $25.41 per hour.
The decision has caused many within the horticulture industry to revise and re-think how they pay staff.
Cherries Tasmania Orchards' managing director Nic Hansen said the producer had been looking to migrate to an automated system to manage its labour for some time before he met the AgPick team at the Fruit Growers Tasmania conference.
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"We were conscious during the selection process that any software we employed should help us comply with the new Fair Work regulations and help us keep more accurate records. It was time to move to more modern technologies," Mr Hansen said.
"As part of our due diligence, we spoke to other producers using AgPick and it was always highly recommended.
"How the process has unfolded from our initial contact in November after the Fair Work decision to roll-out in time for the harvest in December is its strength."
Mr Hansen said compliance would be Cherries Tasmania's immediate benefit.
However, over time, more data would increase productivity and inform decision making, he said.
"By collecting better data over future harvest seasons, we'll be able to determine when people are at their most productive and when we need to call it a day," he said.
AgPick Technology chief executive officer Henrietta Child said the company adapted its picking solution to specifically target cherry producers, following positive engagement with growers at the Fruit Growers Tasmania conference in June 2021.
"Cherries Tasmania's decision to implement AgPick was driven by two issues challenging growers today," Ms Child said.
"Firstly, it was prompted by Fair Work's decision that growers must record pieceworkers' hours and pay the minimum hourly rate under a variation to the Horticulture Award and secondly, by the need to capture accurate picker time records, including breaks.
"We're delighted to make inroads into the cherry industry and work with such a respected producer.
AgPick Technology was asked to set up and implement a cherry model for Cherries Tasmania in four weeks and was on the ground ready to go on day one at the orchard at Old Beach, near Hobart.
"Many cherry growers already have counting solutions but what they need is an accurate reporting system," Ms Child said.
AgPick employs RFID technology to capture data at the source and has the ability to read QR codes, bar codes, UHF, individual tags and other technologies as well as mixing and matching workflows to tailor the user experience to the farm's needs.
With orchards spread over some 80 hectares, family owned and operated Cherries Tasmania can employ up to 200 seasonal workers during the peak of its summer period.
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