Cherries Traceability Project 2022 - 2023

Introduction to Traceability 

Traceability systems enable information to be captured across the farm and on through the supply chain, tracking the journey of food from farm to consumer.

Cherry Growers Australia is partnering with Agriculture Victoria to lead a major innovative pilot project to strengthen cherry on-farm traceability for high-value export markets.

The 2 year pilot project, funded by the Victorian Government, is running through the 2022 and 2023 cherry harvest seasons, and aims in Year 1 to develop on-farm traceability and in Year 2 to build, diversify and protect exports by developing producer-to-consumer traceability. The technology being developed has the potential for future use across the cherry industry.

The project team is implementing new traceability systems, including labelling and integration with cool chain tracking, to help maintain and elevate safety and quality for consumers and leverage the value of Australian export brands.

 

RFID Systems

During Year 1 of the pilot, the project team has implemented RFID systems to trial on-farm traceability. These RFID systems track fruit as it’s harvested in the orchard, received and processed at the packing shed, and dispatched to fulfil customer orders. This traceability automation brings a wealth of efficiency and accuracy to cherry production, empowering our industry for future growth.

 

QR code

At the centre of Year 2 of the CGA traceability pilot, is a little QR code with a lot of power.

Each GS1 Digital Link-enabled QR code label is unique and serialised, allowing automated identification of each pack and sharing of data with every business in the supply chain. Everyone from grower to consumer can authenticate the food’s precise origin and engage with the brand through an open platform smartphone scan. 

Live QR code launching soon check back to see and test it once it's live.

 

Resources

CGA is calling on supply chain members and the wider horticulture community to help raise awareness about the importance of traceability on farms and in the cherry supply chain, to increase scan rates across the supply chain all the way through to the consumer, and, effectively, bolster future export capacity. 

We have produced several resources to help supply chain partners embrace the results of the pilot project, and engage with the traceability technology.

 

Videos (coming soon)

 

Social Media Posts Content (coming soon)

 

Images (coming soon)

 

Reports & Media 

Year 2 Media Release - Click Here

 

Cost Benefit Analysis Calculator (coming soon)