Automation boosts Canlar Fruit’s packing capacity by 30% after shortened cherry season

TURKEY – Turkey’s 2025 cherry season was severely affected by climate conditions, with three rounds of frost in April slashing yields and cutting the harvest window from the usual 2.5 months to just 20 days.

For Canlar Fruit, the weather crisis disrupted not just cherries but also figs, and led to price increases across the board.

Despite this, Canlar Fruit used the short season to test newly installed automation systems across its packing operations.

The results were promising. According to account manager Sefik Can, the company increased daily packing capacity by at least 30 percent, thanks to a mix of precision tools and smart software.

“Our primary goal this season was to enhance product quality and operational efficiency,” Can said. Even under pressure, the new systems helped the company minimize product defects and stay consistent in meeting buyer specifications.

He added that the upgrades have improved reliability and traceability, factors that matter most in high-end retail.

Canlar Fruit’s 2025 investments included clamshell filling equipment, top-seal packaging tools, and digital monitoring software. While the systems could not run at full capacity during the short cherry season, they proved effective in real-time conditions.

One industry study shows that automation can help small-scale producers save up to US$1,480 per year, even with output as low as 60 units per month. These systems also reduce material use by as much as 20 percent, a key benefit for businesses aiming to cut waste and improve efficiency.

The company is also tracking performance through equipment effectiveness scores. While most firms target a score of 74 percent, many still average 68 percent or lower.

Canlar’s improved speed and accuracy indicate that its new systems are already pushing beyond those limits.

Scaling up with figs and watermelon

As cherry season ends, Canlar is putting the finishing touches on its next investment, a fig-sorting and packaging machine designed to meet strict size and weight specs demanded by European retailers. This step is part of a wider move to serve markets with higher quality and traceability expectations.

“The fig machine will allow us to offer customized product lines for different market preferences,” said Can. With better grading and packing consistency, the company expects to expand into Asia and the Far East, where packaging standards are equally detailed.

At the same time, Canlar is shipping seedless watermelons, though wet weather across Europe is slowing movement. The company is now reviewing further automation to support this product line as well.

While the 2025 cherry season came with serious supply challenges, Can says the experience has helped the company move forward. The technology upgrades tested under pressure are already shaping next year’s plans, with more improvements expected in 2026.

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