Enhancing Orchard Labor with the Right Equipment

With the right equipment, orchard labour is easier to find, more efficient, more precise and safer says Montague Farms Manager Trevor Connor. 

Third-generation grower Mr Connor, with more than 20 years experience as a manager at a Goulburn Valley Montague Farms site, said Billo orchard labour platforms are key to a profitable orchard. 

“When it comes to maintenance on the trellis and netting, thinning and pruning, our Billo flat deck machines excel,” Mr Connor said.

“Workers can move safely and easily side to side on the single deck machines. If one of the workers has a tougher portion to work on, the other worker can just take a step sideways to assist.

“This really makes the task faster because there is no waiting around.” 

Mr Connor said the Billo machines are the perfect design for team work. He highlighted that other platforms require workers to climb down and back up again to access the opposite side of the deck. 

With four to six workers per Billo platform operating as a team, Mr Connor said the work was completed much faster and with a better result. 

“It’s faster which makes it cheaper and we get a more precise result. That’s partly because platforms have opened up the labour market.

Mr Connor said in the past, workers needed to be strong enough to carry a ladder and this limited options for employment.

“We are in a labour shortage right now but we no longer have to search for the strongest people.

“In fact, often, it is the workers, sometimes the women, who are not as strong that pay more attention to detail but do not have the ability to lug around bags and ladders.

“With platforms you get a better quality result that is cost effective. It is widely believed that platforms and, in the future, robotics, will play a crucial role.

"As a result, orchards are expected to adopt a flat wall style of growing, which is being taken into consideration by everyone involved."