The AI telling farmers when to harvest
Artificial intelligence tools are increasingly being used by farmers to predict optimal harvest dates by analyzing weather patterns and crop imagery. Companies like Okanagan Specialty Fruits and FruitCast are deploying these systems to maximize productivity and manage labor costs more effectively. While the technology offers high accuracy in forecasting yield and ripeness, experts note that it requires specific historical data and is still evolving into a fully integrated solution.
- ▪Okanagan Specialty Fruits uses cameras from Vivid Machines mounted on tractors to identify fruit and buds for harvest predictions.
- ▪FruitCast, a UK-based company, provides harvest forecasts for various fruits with an accuracy of 90% one week out.
- ▪The AI models rely on bespoke historical data from specific farms rather than general internet averages to ensure forecast accuracy.
- ▪Timely harvesting is critical for high-value crops like berries, where a short window exists before disease or quality loss occurs.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — Business |
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| Publication time | Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:02:21 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-30T23:07:05.717Z |
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The AI telling farmers when to harvestImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Choosing the right moment to harvest can be a make-or-break decisionByChris BaraniukTechnology ReporterPublished4 minutes agoWhen the first day of the apple harvest rolled around in Washington State last year, the fruit was ripe and the pickers were ready – but the weather had other ideas."It was like 38C… it's not safe for people to work in that heat," recalls Joel Carter at Okanagan Specialty Fruits. "We had to stop at 10 o'clock in the morning."He says that artificial intelligence (AI) models that forecast ideal harvest dates, taking into account the weather, would be useful. "You need to know more than just when your fruit is going to be ripe. How long do you have to pick it?" he says.
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