MOUNT PACK AND COOL - MPAC

Background – Partnering for Success

MAF NZ’s robotics and automation of post-harvest processing of fruit and vegetable packhouses is helping industry leaders in New Zealand’s horticulture sector to build their businesses, the national economy, and global food security:

The New Zealand coalition government has a goal of doubling exports by 2034 to improve the economy – the food & fibre sector accounts for 80+% of NZ exports (New Zealand is self-sufficient in fruit & vegetable, meat, dairy, fish and seafood)

Horticulture is of increasing importance to the national economy – for the year to 30 June 2025, horticulture’s export revenue was projected to hit a record $8.5B and to approach $10B by 2029. This has been driven by kiwifruit and apple exports

The Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan, which aims to double farmgate value by 2035, emphasises collaboration, science and knowledge

The post-harvest period is pivotal to growing New Zealand's horticulture sector – efficiently and attractively presenting fruit to the global marketplace through technology and skills

Industry leader Mount Pack & Cool (Mpac) began in 2009 as a small kiwifruit packhouse in Mount Maunganui. It has achieved enviable growth built through performance and passion for providing growers with a high level of service and capacity

MAF RODA AGROBOTIC, an Mpac supplier, provides innovative end to end solutions for automation, grading, sorting, and packing in the fresh fruit and vegetables industry.

Challenge – Ground-up Innovation: Design / Manufacture / Implement at Scale

By 2016, Mpac had gone from packing one million trays of kiwifruit within the first year to packing six million trays. The directors foresaw capacity constraints in the industry, and Mpac’s Mount Maunganui facility was at capacity.

In 2018, acting on its ambitions to expand, Mpac relocated to the Tauriko suburb of Tauranga and started on designing and building the most modern, state-of-the-art, purpose-built post-harvest kiwifruit facility in the world. MAF Roda agro-robotics was already supporting Mpac at this pre-automation stage through the installation of a sizer. In 2023, following the industry turbulence caused by Covid-19 workforce challenges, Mpac made the move to fully automate its site.

An overseas exploratory trip by Mpac’s directors to see what technological solutions were on offer proved to be underwhelming, and Mpac decided to work with large players back in New Zealand to design its own bespoke system.

The challenge? Integrate multiple automation systems from suppliers with different capabilities into a cohesive, high-throughput operation. Rather than adopt an off-the-shelf solution, this greenfield project involved designing a post-harvest packhouse from the ground up to be the kiwifruit industry’s most efficient packing line and pass those savings directly on to growers.

Mpac drew on MAF Roda capabilities to deliver highly customised automation technology and orchestrate an integrated bespoke solution drawing on the services of different companies. MAF NZ played a pivotal role in designing and integrating these systems, ensuring seamless data exchange and operational efficiency.

“MAF played a big role in integrating the automation,” says Mpac Group managing director Brendon Lee. “One of the things we really like about MAF is their willingness to be customer focused. Some companies will go to MAF for a turnkey solution. We like to design it, but we like to have MAF in the room and work side by side with them. That's where they're really good, designing it together and being focused on customer solutions – it’s a point of difference.”

Results – Major Growth, Greater Capacity, Sustainable Workforce

MAF’s innovative automated systems have been an integral part of revolutionizing Mpac’s packing facility, allowing the company to streamline operations, increase productivity, drive efficiency, and ensure the highest quality produce for customers around the world.

The seamless integration of multiple suppliers’ technologies into a unified, streamlined system is a feat previously unseen in this sector. In state-of-the-art facility quality control, the fruit comes in one end and goes out the other untouched and it only travels short distances. MAF Roda’s willingness to collaborate, innovate and adapt was critical to the project’s success.

Mpac’s business has experienced over 400% growth in the last five years and can claim to be the most highly automated kiwifruit processing plant in the world. A huge amount of capacity has been added to the industry – the business has gone from six million trays in 2018 to packing 30 million trays in the latest season. Around 600 000 kiwifruits are processed every hour. The automation has positioned Mpac as a global leader in kiwifruit post-harvest processing.

Investing upfront in infrastructure and capital has enabled Mpac to offer an industry-leading competitive pricing structure to growers along with a great service. The company has reduced reliance on casual labour, increased permanent roles, and developed new recruitment pathways for skilled technical staff – they have a sustainable model for labour away from manual jobs. Increasing capacity, the resilience provided through automation means allowing growers to harvest on more days.

The advanced facility has also become an attraction for international visitors, from processors to growers, with widespread industry interest in the productivity, cost-efficiency, and sustainability.

Future – Technological Innovation Powered by Partnership

Innovation, technology and collaboration are core to the ongoing success of New Zealand’s expanding horticulture industry, which is vital to the national goal of doubling exports by 2034.

Robotics and automation are transforming horticultural industries around the world, and
disruptor horticulture companies like Mpac, which has continued to upgrade and expand, are actively assessing how their operations, growers, customers and countries4 can benefit from the uptake of advancing technologies, including robotics / AI.

As horticulture fuels the future of New Zealand’s land-based economy, MAF NZ considers it a privilege to support horticulture industry leaders like Mpac through tailored automation, custom solutions and responsive service.