Global demand for blueberries continues to surge, with retailers and consumers increasingly expecting availability all year round. Yet berries remain one of the most challenging categories for growers and exporters due to their exceptionally short shelf life and high susceptibility to waste.
In response, post-harvest specialist AgroFresh has strengthened its FreshCloud digital ecosystem through new partnerships with South African analytics firm Aerobotics and Israeli AI innovator Neolithics—a move aimed squarely at helping growers extend supply windows, sharpen forecasting and drastically reduce waste.
Aerobotics brings advanced orchard and packhouse analytics to the table, using drone and mobile-based imaging to assess crop load, canopy health and fruit size distribution at scale. Neolithics, meanwhile, specialises in AI-powered quality inspection capable of identifying defects—such as bruising, softness or decay—that human graders often miss. Together, the integrations offer growers a richer and more consistent data layer from the earliest stages of fruit development through to post-harvest handling.
“We aim to collect as much data as possible to provide an intelligent hub for both pre- and post-harvest, enabling our customers to make smart decisions,” says Bradford Warner of AgroFresh. “We want that data to be displayed in an easy way. This is valuable business intelligence for the fresh-produce industry.”
FreshCloud already allows growers to model how harvests may look and determine optimal timings for picking, storage and market allocation. But AgroFresh’s new capabilities take this several steps further. With Aerobotics capturing pre-harvest insights via drone flights and even basic phone cameras—and Neolithics automating post-harvest quality checks using machine learning—the platform is evolving into a continuous data loop that supports decisions across the entire supply chain.
“The goal is to empower informed decisions that growers, packers and shippers can take action on,” says Warner. “How best to store produce, how long it can be shipped for and who the preferred final customer should be based on data-driven quality.”
The stakes are high. Blueberries and avocados, two of the world’s fastest-growing fruit categories, can experience waste levels of up to 30–40%. With production costs rising and land availability tightening, improving efficiency is no longer optional—it’s essential for profitability, food security and sustainability.
“The world needs more fresh produce, but the amount of land is limited,” Warner explains. “We need to be more efficient in how we handle the produce we grow.”
AgroFresh says its research shows a critical lack of consistent data across the fruit supply chain—a gap the new partnerships are designed to close. More detailed pre-harvest data from Aerobotics helps predict yield and quality earlier, while Neolithics enhances accuracy at the grading table, where inspections have historically been slow, labour-intensive and limited to small sample sizes.
“Machine learning is a real game changer for the produce industry,” Warner adds. “Not only are there many different types of fruit, but also many different varieties. The information can be used between different fruits and varieties, then fine-tuned for specific buyers in FreshCloud.”
For an industry racing to deliver consistent year-round berry supply without inflating waste, inefficiency or carbon footprint, AgroFresh’s expanding digital ecosystem may prove a timely and transformative step forward.
