The Government has backed a research programme to drive productivity and improve profits in the apple industry.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced that the project will develop hyperspectral imaging technology (light-based scanning that sees inside fruit without cutting it) to understand what is happening under the skin of an apple as it enters the packhouse and during storage.
“Better information about internal defects and fruit quality could help exporters make earlier decisions about storage, packing and when to ship them out. That means more chance of fruit reaching markets in top condition with less waste.”
The Government has invested NZD 1.84 million through the Primary Sector Growth Fund, with the project lead, Auckland agritech company Hectre contributing the balance of the NZD 4.6 million project over three years.
Hectre already collects sizing, colour, and quality data from billions of pieces of fruit each year. The new programme extends its research from surface characteristics to what is happening inside an apple, including maturity, starch content, and firmness.
That usually requires someone cutting into and sampling fruit, which is slow, destructive and imprecise. The new technology aims to scan fruit at commercial throughput speeds in the packhouse, giving operators real-time data.
McClay highlighted that this type of innovation was essential for the horticulture sector to grow and that projects like this demonstrate how smart investment in science, technology and innovation can improve productivity, strengthen export performance and create new opportunities for New Zealand agritech companies on the global stage.
“The Government investment will help bring this technology to market sooner, giving our apple industry a competitive advantage and support stronger growth across the sector.”
The programme aims to develop a proof-of-concept algorithm targeting at least 80 percent detection accuracy by June 2027, and a packhouse prototype validated under commercial conditions by June 2028.
The apple and pear industry contributes more than NZD one billion to New Zealand's economy each year and supports jobs and communities across regions.
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