WA's biggest blueberry farm deploys driverless tractors and robot harvesters
Western Australia's largest blueberry grower uses driverless tractors and robot harvesters. The farm still employs over 200 fruit pickers.
Western Berry, 100 kilometres north of Perth, is trialling driverless tractors. They use GPS and cameras to navigate fields.
They also spray crops and control weeds. The farm uses laser-guided machines and automatic packing systems.
Battery-operated, solar-powered harvesters collect fruit at about 50 cents per kilogram. Hand picking costs $6 per kilogram.
Future options could include AI-guided pruning by humanoid robots, Mr Kwiecien-Fisher said. The farm also plans systems to check crop health.
Despite the technology, the family-run business employs more than 200 pickers. It plans to hire more as it triples production over coming years.
Automation is creating new jobs in machine operation and computer science, Mr Kwiecien-Fisher said.
- 100 kilometres north
- Distance from Perth
- 120 hectares
- Farm size
- Just under 1,500 tonnes annually
- Current production
- More than 200 pickers
- Current workforce
Why it mattersAustralian farms face real labour shortages. How businesses mix automation with human workers will shape rural jobs and food production for years to come.
AustraliaAustralians buying local blueberries will see them increasingly picked by machines, though farms are still hiring people to do work machines cannot yet do cost-effectively.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 15 h ago
