Growers Backing Development Of Robotic Strawberry Harvesters

PLANT CITY – A company backed by strawberry growers in Florida and California is developing a high-tech robot that can pick and package berries in the field.

Harvest CROO Robotics has already spent $1 million on a prototype automated picker. Research is continuing, and the company working on a more advanced model to harvest strawberries by the 2016-17 season, said Gary Wishnatzki, owner of Wish Farms, one of Plant City’s largest producers.

The challenge is developing a harvester that can pick berries planted in rows, which is the norm for strawberry farms, he said.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Tampa Tribune