Reybanpac undertakes Packinghouse Renovation Master Plan

Driven by the pursuit of continuous improvement in safety, quality and efficiency, Reybanpac has undertaken in 2021 a medium-term master plan to upgrade and remodel its packinghouses. "After evaluating and analyzing all our packinghouses, we have determined to make changes and renovations in 50% of them," says Iván Toledo, Reybanpac Civil Works Superintendent.

This will be done under the concept of Unified Industrial Zones, which consists of technically establishing a delimited area for each farm within which the fruit yard, packing plant, warehouses, offices and complementary facilities such as lunch and resting areas for the workers are integrated. In some cases, the construction of a new strategically located packinghouse is planned to serve two farms simultaneously.

Improvement is focused on further optimization of the timing at each stage of the process generating the appropriate spaces and distances. At the same time, it will also facilitate greater control and supervision. “Everything is measured, the flow of each task, the distances between the packing house and plantations or warehouses. The objective is to speed up the general rhythm in the packaging process. This will allow us to increase the daily volume of production while keeping high quality standards”, indicates Toledo.

A higher productivity benefits all parties involved. On one side, it increases the volume of boxes available for our customers to meet the demand of their markets. On the other hand, the investment made to achieve greater efficiency translates into better income for agricultural workers since they will be able to process more boxes in the same period of time in a more efficiently and comfortably.

This project is based on standardization of construction criteria of safety, functionality, biosafety and requirements in line with international certifications for food safety, occupational health and environmental protection. Investment in technology is as well a key axis. To achieve these objectives there is coordinated effort between the departments of Industrial Security, Production, Risk Management, Civil Work and external expert advice on the subject.

“POZA DE NARANJO” FARM, PACKINGHOUSE MODEL OF THE NEW STANDARD.
Poza de Naranjo will have the first packinghouse to be built in 2021 under the new model, where a 100% renovation plan is also being developed. In the previous year, the renovation of its plantation began.

On this farm, the drainage system was redesigned so that it has the capacity to withstand the potential high rains in the region and evacuate the water in less than 24 hours. Likewise, an automated irrigation system was implemented to optimize the use of water and fertilizers, keeping an exact measurement of its consumption. A double-row system was applied in the plantation for the best use of the soil. Finally, new banana varieties with improved genetic material that is better suited to the climate of the region were used. This will contribute to an even better formation of banana bunches in size, weight and shape, and therefore increased productivity of the plantation.

All efforts are made on the basis of sustainable agriculture, under the highest biosafety standards and requirements of international regulations to guarantee customers a fresh and safe product produced responsibly.