For mass importer and producer of seed potatoes, AR Tarim based in Turkey, the need for stringent quality control became a significant factor in helping them meet their goals and to respond to the changing needs of the industry.
Up to 8000 tons of seed potatoes are imported and around 11,000 tons are locally produced by the company and stored in their 1000-year-old cave storage facility located in Kayseri. For AR Tarim, ensuring continual high-quality produce with minimal waste is central to their aim to become more efficient and to exceed customer expectations.
“We had come across some quality issues,” explained Ekrem Suad Sadak, Managing Director of AR Tarim. His team approached UK crop quality and storage specialists Martin Lishman Ltd, after seeing their extensive range of potato quality equipment.
Potato bruising was a big concern for the team at AR Tarim. Thankfully, Martin Lishman offers two tried and tested solutions in answer to this problem.
The TuberLog Electronic Potato, a data logger disguised as a potato, identifies the location and severity of damage-causing impacts in harvesting and handling machinery, enabling the user to carry out adjustments.
The HotBox, a sealed cabinet that exposes tubers ready for storage to both humidity and heat to test for disease, infections and bruising.
To further help improve the quality of the seed potatoes, the introduction of a soil testing kit from Martin Lishman has added to AR Tarim’s quality control armoury.
Source: Martin Lishman Ltd. Read the full story here
Photo: The cave naturally provides ideal conditions for storing potatoes | Martin Lishman
