Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and other berries are among the most delicate fresh products on the market. Their fragility makes full automation unrealistic. Instead, efficiency gains in berry packing increasingly rely on well-designed manual and semi-automatic lines that combine human expertise with targeted technology.

The main operational challenges

According to field experience across multiple markets, berry packers face recurring structural challenges:

• Manual handling remains essential due to product fragility.
• Labor shortages make recruitment and retention increasingly difficult.
• Declining motivation on packing lines can reduce productivity over time.
• Overweight packs generate real financial losses, sometimes reaching €70,000 per season.
• Peak-season pressure from retailers requires rapid operational adjustments.
   

This high dependence on labor costs, staff availability and retailer demands makes long-term planning complex and operational stability fragile.

Manual lines: structured efficiency with human control

Manual lines are designed for products requiring sorting or sold on stems. Filled trays are placed on a multi-level conveyor system and directed to weighing stations, where operators adjust weight if necessary before sending packs to sealing, labeling or grouping stages.

These systems can be configured according to production capacity and facility size. Their objective is not to replace manual work, but to structure and optimize it.

Semi-automatic lines: precision and flow control

For operations requiring repacking, light sorting or verification of pre-filled containers, semi-automatic lines introduce a checkweigher at the start of the process.

Based on real-time weight data, trays are automatically directed into three lanes:

• compliant packs continue directly,
• underweight packs go to an operator for correction,
• overweight packs are adjusted before rejoining the main flow.
   

This approach reduces unnecessary handling — a critical factor in preserving berry quality — while improving throughput and consistency.

Data and monitoring: the Libra system

Both manual and semi-automatic lines integrate the Libra software system, which tracks operator performance and generates detailed production data. The system enables quick configuration changes, secures data and significantly reduces administrative workload.

Performance monitoring has shown productivity improvements of up to 30% in some operations, while helping to reduce overweight-related losses.

A balanced investment strategy

These systems address the sector’s main pain points:

• supporting manual operations without over-automating,
• improving labor efficiency,
• reducing giveaway from overweight trays,
• enabling fast adaptation during peak demand periods.
   

A pragmatic path forward

In berry packing, the goal is not maximum automation but controlled, data-driven efficiency. By combining structured manual processes with intelligent weighing and monitoring tools, packers can improve productivity, reduce losses and respond more effectively to retail pressure — while preserving fruit quality.