Apple and pear packhouse Ceres Fruit Growers has completed major infrastructure and technology upgrades to increase throughput capability at its packaging facility in Ceres.

Ceres Fruit Growers handles between 130 000 t and 145 000 t of apples and pears every year.

The multimillion-rand investment was made as the facility sees sustained growth in volumes as a result of growers investing in new-generation varieties and replacing older orchards with more productive ones.

To accommodate the higher throughput, Ceres Fruit Growers increased its physical loading and dispatch capacity by adding dock levellers, expanding load-out areas and improving pallet handling systems.

In particular, a new staging area fitted with gravity-fed rollers can accommodate 24 containers simultaneously, which improves order picking and reduces the need for forklift movement.

Ceres Fruit Growers explains one of the most significant upgrades was the installation of mobile racking storage capable of handling 4 000 pallets. This has improved space use and stock flow within the entire facility.

The company also implemented ViTrax and AppSource pallet movement systems, which allow forklift operators to scan and track pallets in real time using tablets mounted on forklifts.

Ceres Fruit Growers logistics manager Con Louw says the flow through the facility is now far more efficient. “We can prepare loads in advance and respond much faster when shipping schedules change, especially when the Port of Cape Town experiences delays.”

Ceres Fruit Growers is also expanding its recooling capabilities as export protocols and packaging requirements become increasingly specialised. The facility currently operates 16 cold treatment protocol rooms, steri tunnels, and upgraded holding rooms, with further recooling expansion planned.

Technology and automation play an increasingly important role across the operation, as Ceres Fruit Growers uses automated palletisers and advanced fruit camera systems, Louw states.

Ceres Fruit Growers’ packhouse five, which specialises in bi-coloured apples, runs 24 hours a day during peak season and can pack apples into four colour categories with ten count sizes within each category. The packhouse averages 18 t an hour.

“Our aim is to maximise packout percentages while improving productivity and maintaining flexibility for our growers and markets,” Louw emphasises, adding that the upgrades have already made a significant difference in efficiency, consistent product quality and the overall working environment.

Ceres Fruit Growers also had to invest in energy resilience, enabling the entire site to operate independently from Eskom through two generators, 5.5 MW of solar capacity and batteries.

During the season, the company employs more than 1 600 people. Staff dining and relaxation facilities were also upgraded as part of its broader focus on employee well-being, operational excellence, and food safety.

According to Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing MD Roelf Pienaar, who is tasked with marketing Ceres Fruit Growers' apples and pears, the upgrades strengthen the packhouse’s ability to consistently supply global markets with high-quality fruit despite increasing logistical and market pressures.

“As marketers of Ceres Fruit Growers’ fruit, we understand how critical operational efficiency, cold chain integrity, and consistency are in international markets. These investments ensure Ceres Fruit Growers remains globally competitive and well-positioned to support growers as production volumes continue to increase. It also demonstrates the long-term confidence our growers have in the South African apple and pear industry," Pienaar notes.