CHICAGO, IL – Hazel Technologies, Inc., a USDA-funded technology company delivering new solutions for fresh produce to extend shelf-life, increase sales, and fight food waste, announces the first ever virtual Kiwi Quality Summit. A one-hour event will be held on Wednesday, June 30th for New Zealand attendees and simultaneously on Tuesday, June 29th for attendees watching in the USA. The summit will feature keynote speakers from across the industry ahead of the 2021 New Zealand kiwifruit season.
The virtual event itinerary includes presentations on innovation and cutting-edge pre and postharvest technologies. In addition, Kelly Hale, Vice President of Sales at Hazel Technologies will moderate a grower’s perspectives panel featuring Cam Clayton of DMS Progrowers, Dwayne Farrington of Farmlands Co-Op, and Gary Geurts, formerly of Apata. The panelists will share their experiences on pre-harvest budbreak optimization solutions and share plans for the upcoming season. Following the growers panel, Mario Cervantes, Director of Business Development AgTech at Hazel Technologies will present on the Hazel Tech’s suite of products tailored for kiwi growers.
Hazel Technologies provides both pre-harvest and postharvest solutions for the kiwi industry. Hazel Trex™ pre-harvest technology is designed to improve kiwifruit orchard performance and increasing orchard efficiency. Hazel Trex provides guidance to growers on the best timing for orchard management practices. Noted benefits have been the optimization of orchard practices to improve budbreak and flowering results on traditional Hayward and “Gold” kiwifruit orchards. Grower block trials indicated that king flower production increased by approximately 15% in Hayward when using Hazel Trex.
Complementing Hazel Trex, the company offers in box treatments that serve as postharvest solutions for both organic and conventional growers. Hazel’s postharvest technologies include Hazel 100™ and Hazel O™ sachets that are easy-to-use and industry proven. Both applications help kiwis maintain color and firmness, particularly during long-distance transit.
“We work closely with growers across New Zealand to understand their unique growing conditions and bring to market products to meet their needs,” commented Dwayne Farrington, Farmlands Co-op and Summit Speaker. “I look forward to the Kiwi Quality Summit and the opportunity to educate the industry on the latest genetic sequencing technology to ensure accurate forecasting for budbreak and increase king flower production.”
“At Hazel Tech we develop solutions that reduce labor costs and increase efficiency,” commented Mario Cervantes, Hazel Technologies. “Hazel Tech’s suite of products tailored for kiwifruit optimize pre-harvest farming practices and help maintain color and firmness postharvest. We look forward to sponsoring and presenting at the event, and moreover the opportunity to improve yields and reduce food waste in the global supply chain.”
Hazel Tech Quality Summits bring together experts and leaders in postharvest research, farming, and shelf-life extension technology to present at their crop focused virtual events. June marks the 7th Quality Summit hosted by Hazel Technologies. The Kiwi Quality Summit is a free event. Registration is open to the general industry until June 29th or until capacity is reached.
To learn more about the event and register, visit www.bit.ly/kiwiqualitysummit2021
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About Hazel Technologies, Inc.:
Hazel Technologies is a USDA-funded startup company that develops new solutions to extend the quality shelf life of fresh produce and reduce food waste. Founded in 2015, Hazel Tech® services over 150 of the world’s largest fresh produce packers, shippers, and retailers. Selected as a Finalist for Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas and winner of “Best Sustainable Packaging”; at the 2020 World Food Innovation Awards, the company’s patent-pending technologies have been tested by top academic research programs. In 2020, Hazel Tech products were used with over 3.2 billion pounds of fresh produce, preventing more than 270 million pounds from going to waste.
For more information, visit www.hazeltechnologies.com.
About Farmlands:
Farmlands Co-operative was formed by farmers for farmers over 55 years ago, with the aim that everybody should prosper. This sentiment remains as strong as ever. Farmlands is the largest buying group of its type in New Zealand, transacting more than 2.5 billion dollars’ worth of business annually and is listed in the top 20 companies by turnover in New Zealand. This buying power helps reduce the input costs of more than 70,000 Farmlands shareholders nationwide.
