AUSTRALIA is putting $11.5 million into developing strawberry varieties that will be more easily picked by robots.
The initiative will see scientists cross popular strawberry traits with premium strawberry varieties from the world that feature single stemmed fruit ideal for robotic picking.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland (DAFQ) is leading the four year project with backing from Hort Innovation.
Recent data has shown the horticulture workforce has decreased by 20 per cent over the past three years, which has resulted in 40pc of Australian growers adopting advanced machinery.
Hort Innovation is working with tech companies and researchers on various horticulture related automation projects, and scoping discussions with the berry industry to identify opportunities for technology adoption are underway.
Berries Australia executive director Rachel Mackenzie said the nation's strawberry growers were ready to reap the benefits of the program's efforts to reduce the cost of harvesting.
"Breeding bespoke varieties to suit strawberry growers across the country is a priority for our industry," she said.
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"We are looking forward to this program equipping us to profitably deliver consistent, high-quality fruit for Australians and the world."
According to the 2021/22 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook, the Australian national strawberry industry has an estimated farm gate value of $417 million.
DAFQ principal plant breeder Dr Jodi Neal said the program will reduce the time needed to pick and pack strawberries, resulting in a more profitable outcome for growers.
"It takes the same amount of time to pick a small strawberry as it does to pick a large one," Dr Neal said.
"This breeding program is focusing on delivering a consistent fruit size that is preferred by consumers on unbranched flower stems - meaning that the fruit can be picked faster - either by conventional methods or through automation."
Hort Innovation chief executive Brett Fifield said a strawberry easily picked by machine would be a game changer.
"While harvesting strawberries using automation is not common practice yet in Australia, it will be before we know it," Mr Fifield said.
Queensland agriculture minister Mark Furner said Queensland was a leader in agricultural innovation.
"Queensland remains on the cutting edge of agtech, which will be vital to the future of agriculture and the thousands of good jobs it supports in our state," Mr Furner said.
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