Whole history shown in farms bar-coding
26 April 2002
Whole history shown in farms bar-coding
A HOME-DESIGNED bar-coding scheme to help an Essex farm keep closer tabs on its potatoes could be the forerunner of a full field-to-consumer produce tracing system.
That is the hope of Mark Smith, manager for W W J Collins at High Laver Hall Farm, near Ongar, after two years experience with the system, the brainchild of the farms potato specialist Robert Dixon.
"The farm uses it for stock control and full traceability of the crop from field to packer," says Mr Smith.
The farm grows about 160ha (400 acres) of potatoes each year and has been registered as an Assured Produce and Natures Choice supplier since the respective schemes began.
Based on a Percon commercial laser scanner, the scheme replaces paper records and provides each of the farms 7000 1t boxes with its own bar-coded printed information label.
As well as indicating the owner, the bar tells the scanner user the variety and the field the box came from.
"Each box also has a unique identification code," says Mr Dixon. "So when we move them from say store A to store B or load them out for a packer, we can scan the labels and easily keep track of them."
The tracking is done by downloading the scanner data onto the farms computer. This employs a specific piece of control software written by Mr Dixons business partner, Paul Gallagher, who uses a similar idea to track laboratory samples in a pharmaceuticals firm.
The most expensive part of the system is the scanner which has been modified to withstand rough farm conditions. "It cost about £1000," says Mr Dixon.
Armed with the knowledge of which field the box contents came from, it is a simple matter to pull up its agronomic history, he explains. In due course that could be accessed directly by buyers when required.
Spot paper-trail checks are currently carried out by packers, notes Mr Smith. "This could take it one step further, but no packer we use has taken it up yet."
In theory there is no technical reason why the idea could not be extended to allow consumers to find out exactly how their potential purchases have been produced, he believes.
Before bar-coding, 20t loads of potatoes would often leave the farm accompanied only by single A4 record sheets, he notes. "Quite often those sheets would get lost".
The labels are highly adhesive, he points out. "Another big advantage is that we can print them out in advance, rather than having to hand-write every one. When you have 7000 thats quite a saving!"
Another big benefit is the tracking of empty boxes. The system logs box movements and keeps a running total for each packer. "At £50/box this can save a lot of money," says Mr Smith. *
BAR-CODETRACING
• On-farm stock control.
• Linked to field histories.
• Scope for packers to benefit.
• Ultimate consumer check.