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News
Back to the news list 'The more data you collect, the more accurate the
21 June 2018 - Media Release - Fresh Plaza
In many parts of the world, digitization in the value chain is indispensable. But in fresh-fruit production, especially for products in the far-off countries of the southern hemisphere and the tropics, it can be hard to capture digital data as other issues -often more important in the short term- tend to be in the foreground. Often people work with modern means, but they are not yet linked with each other. The Don Limón company, based in Hamburg, has recognized this challenge. With its producers and university researchers it is currently exploring the possibilities of digitization in the production chain. 


Managing Director Andreas Schindler of Don Limón

Rarely used in the fresh fruit production industry are social media channels such as Facebook & Instagram. This is precisely where Don Limón attaches great importance to the transparency and storytelling of the entire production chain. How the fruit grows from a small seed to a stately plant, how fruits are harvested and refined and then transported to various countries throughout the world. Don Limón Head of Marketing, Minh Dao told us that their international followers, consisting of other producers, their own employees and many private interested parties, can participate in the journey through excellent, honest content. Instead of uploading daily informative posts about prices, new offers, etc., Don Limón focuses on storytelling. The difference with other channels in the industry can be seen in the increasing participation of the followers - the interaction creates an international community, in contact with Don Limón and part of the whole.

Digitization of production 
However, what is new is to manage the production chain accordingly and eventually to automate it completely. The aim is to digitize production in the fields as far as possible. This means that people can continuously receive data on the stocks, changes in the fields and the quality of the fruit, whereupon subsequent processes can be initiated and adjusted accordingly, preferably automatically and all by itself. This sounds good at first, but as Mr. Dao reports, the challenge lies in the development of the necessary software. This software should centralize and evaluate all recorded data in real time. This way, new production scenarios can be presented. The software should create real-time reports on all collected data from sensors and measuring instruments on the different "fields". 

Based on this report, it is then automatically determined how many fruits will be harvested, how many transports will be used on which routes, when any irrigation will take place and where there are insect infestations. In the morning, all tasks can be distributed exactly and the daily production work can be determined into the smallest details. This saves a great deal of time and money, since many of these tasks are currently being undertaken by committed employees themselves. Don Limón is currently exploring opportunities that will bring us closer to this vision of the future, along with industry-changing innovations. 

A first step into this future is the use of drones on production areas. These not longer serve as just tools for breathtaking video recordings and backyard StarWars racing; Don Limón also relies on the many advantages of good drones. With drones you are able to fly over the individual plots of the fields, registering colour changes, activities of agricultural workers as well as effects of fertilizers and spraying. Furthermore, highly sensitive sensors in the soil can register the need for minerals, enabling a precise supplementation with fertilizers. Pest management, plant growth and yields can also be documented precisely. 

Long-term & challenging developments 
The Don Limón company has recognized that it is a long-term and challenging development: “The Earth’s population is growing, people eat more and more, but food production is not growing accordingly. This is why production processes must be optimized. And Don Limón is increasingly addressing this, through digitization,” Mr Dao says.

The communication of the company is already controlled by the marketing department in many areas. It is there where the threads come together to integrate the digitization of the entire supply chain into the ongoing processes. Dao: “We have already taken the first steps in partnership with universities. Our goal is to connect the production on the fields with the other stages of the chain as well. On the other hand, we also know very well that farming is a very different thing than logistics or the overseas trading business.”

For more information:
Andreas Schindler 
Pilz Schindler GmbH
Tel:   +49  0 40 3095499 45
Mob: +49  0 171 8583 211
Email:aschindler@pilz-schindler.de
Web: www.don-limon.de

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