According to figures released by Farmers Weekly*, imports of potatoes to the UK rose by almost 15% in the last quarter of 2012. This has put substantial pressure on growers and packers, who are now competing for contracts in an international marketplace.<\/p>\n
This tough financial situation, combined with rising planting costs and some of the most challenging lifting conditions for over 30 years, has hit potato farmers hard; resulting in minimal profits.<\/p>\n
However, to combat these challenges, equipment providers have invested significantly in developing new technologies, not only to enhance vegetable processing<\/a> efficiency and value for money, but also to be adaptable for changing conditions.<\/p>\n Here, Charles Tong, Managing Director of Tong\u00a0Engineering, discusses the latest developments in specialist handling equipment, designed to maximise the profitability of crop yields and reduce unnecessary wastage.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year was particularly testing for farmers and packers, driven by continually rising planting costs and minimal harvest return, which more than offset the higher crop prices achieved,\u201d commented Charles. \u201cThis left those on fixed-price contracts the worst off, gaining little from increased value.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, although profits are low and international competition is beginning to rise, there is still hope for packers and growers.<\/p>\n \u201cKey buyers prioritising UK produce, an upward curve for crop prices and more favorable weather conditions predicted for the start of the growing season seems to be the bright light at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n \u201cThis said, the only surefire tactic to maximising profitability and yield quality is by embracing efficient processes and modern technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n With over 80 years of industry experience, Tong is one of the UK\u2019s leading designers and manufacturers of vegetable handling equipment \u2013 investing significantly into developing machinery to provide optimum cleaning<\/a>, destoning, grading<\/a> and handling of crop.<\/p>\n To help combat extreme weather and challenging lifting conditions, Tong has developed the Storemaker<\/a> \u2013 a mobile hopper-cleaner. Bringing new technologies to in-field cleaning, the newly designed Storemaker offers a compact, efficient and gentle handling process, capable of effectively cleaning up to 80 tonnes of crop per hour.<\/p>\n