Jack Lemmen, GTL, The Netherlands

While many aspects of mushroom production have been mechanised, with computer-controlled compost production, bulk phase 3 compost, automatic casers and fillers, and many other technical aids, harvesting and packaging is still mostly a manual process.

With many growers in Australia struggling with labour costs and shortages, any technical help to optimise harvesting and packaging is met with great interest.

At the recent AMGA conference, Jack Lemmen from GTL outlined the latest developments using technology to improve the efficiency of human pickers.

In this podcast, Jack talks to MushroomLink’s Dr Jenny Ekman about the technologies available to growers now as well as the future potential of robotic harvesting and packing systems.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

Roland van Doremaele, Christiaens, The Netherlands

Robotic harvesting in mushrooms has been in development for decades, with earlier harvesters having limited success.

The drawer system from the Christiaens Group in The Netherlands is a fully integrated approach to growing, harvesting, and packing mushrooms.

In this system, the shelves move between growing and harvesting rooms, which has positive implications for pest and disease management, as well as improving harvest efficiency and making the working environment more attractive to pickers.

It would also allow the ready incorporation of a robotic harvester, should this technology become viable in the future.

Chatting to MushroomLink’s Dr Jenny Ekman at the AMGA conference, Roland highlights all the benefits of the drawer system and the technologies available to growers now. 

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In a complicated and diverse media landscape, where everyone, everywhere can share information, how can you keep control of the story, particularly one that may be damaging to your brand and reputation?

Analysing the ‘needle in strawberries’ crisis concludes the series, with special guest Rachel Mackenzie (now executive director of Berries Australia, formerly of Growcom) sharing her valuable insights into what the mushroom industry can learn from this experience.

The Hort Innovation funded project MU20006: Mushroom industry crisis and reputation risk management recorded this podcast. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.  

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In a complicated and diverse media landscape, where everyone, everywhere can share information, how can you keep control of the story, particularly one that may be damaging to your brand and reputation?

In episode 2 of the series, Patrick and Clare cite examples of types of issues specific to the mushroom industry, including product relates risks (that can impact food safety) and people related risks (e.g., seasonal work force related issues, industry ‘cowboys’ or disgruntled employees).

The Hort Innovation funded project MU20006: Mushroom industry crisis and reputation risk management recorded this podcast. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.  

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In a complicated and diverse media landscape, where everyone, everywhere can share information, how can you keep control of the story, particularly one that may be damaging to your brand and reputation?

In a new three-part podcast series Keep Calm and Carry On, reputation and communication expert Patrick McClelland of Porter Novelli Australia and fresh produce industry expert Clare Hamilton-Bate discuss the key issues in protecting the reputation of the Australian mushroom industry and brand.

The Hort Innovation funded project MU20006: Mushroom industry crisis and reputation risk management recorded this podcast. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.  

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse