New machine has it sorted for Tasmanian Seed Dressing and Storage

A $600,000 colour sorter for seed production, the first of its kind in Tasmania, is now in commercial use.

The 3U Vision Fenix 4 is now in operation at Tasmanian Seed Dressing and Storage at Carrick.

The technology can separate seeds by colour and quality, and discard product deemed inferior within milliseconds.

The Fenix 4 will be used to sort vegetable seeds and other crops from Tasmanian farms.

“The last few years we’ve been sorting a lot of premium quality crops, including vegetable seeds like beetroot and carrot, for export,” Tasmanian Seed Dressing and Storage operations manager Abhi Gupta said.

“And we’re doing a lot of chicory exports to New Zealand and clovers to other countries.”

Tasmanian Seed Dressing and Storage general manager Morgan Leath said any product that left their site needed to be of the highest quality.

“High-value small seeds, such as vegetable seeds, require literally 100 per cent purity for the export markets they’re going to,” Mr Leath said.

“An average cleaning plant can’t achieve that.

“It’s got to go through some other piece of machinery to be able to achieve that level of purity.

“This machine definitely allows us to do that.”

The Tasmanian government chipped in $100,000 to the colour sorter through its Advanced Manufacturing Accelerating Growth Program.