Read this news in PDF format here.
At Citrusvil, we have two packing houses: Cevil Pozo, in the east of San Miguel de Tucumán,and Ischilón, in the south of Tucumán. During this year, we carried out infrastructure works at Cevil Pozo in order to increase our preselection capacity of fruit destined for the American market. These improvements simplified processing since we managed to arrange fresh fruit treatment in phases and ease the packing system, resulting in greater operational capacity between the two packing areas and working simultaneously.
Continuous Improvement
“At certain moments in the season, when we reached peaks in production, the storage space at Ischilón packing house became reduced; processing had to be slowed down until fruits were mature or cured according to the process stage. Therefore, we decided to invest in these improvements. With these new chambers, we managed to maintain our export levels during all the fresh fruit season”. Sebastián Dopico, Packing House Manager.
What Did the Works at Cevil Pozo Consist in?
New chambers for fresh fruit storage were built, meeting the requirements set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
An enclosure wall with a light structure and an anti-aphid net (a physical barrier usually used in greenhouses to protect them against potential insects or microorganisms) was built in the area. In addition, a wind curtain system, which eliminates dust, keeps the area cool and prevents insects from entering, was installed at the points of access. After the works were performed, the Argentine Service for Agri-Food Safety and Quality (SENASA) audited the facilities and certified that they were fit for use.
Challenges for Next Season
“We expect to use the 100% of our capacities in the next season. Both our facilities and our team are ready” Martijn Hazeu, Fresh Fruit Department Commercial Representative.