A MAREEBA agricultural scientist has invented a process that can give avocados a 12-day shelf life without browning.
Willem Landman recently secured a provisional patent for the yet-to-be-named process.
He has big plans for the invention, which has been in development for many years, and is working on having a prototype ready in 12 months
“The idea was born out of a challenge to make avocado fruit salad,” Mr Landman said. “One of the companies I worked for was looking for something new, something innovative.
“To get something like that is mind-blowing because nobody has ever done it.
“There’s plenty of products that can do guacamole but the principle is that I can give a 12-day shelf life to a fresh-cut avocado. The principle is so basic. I will need some technology to protect the IP but I can manufacture it with nuts and bolts.
“I built my first prototype in my garage from scrap metal.”
Mr Landman said his business model would allow the process to be manufactured in Australia.
“This country has been great for me and I would like to return the favour,” said the father-of-two who recently secured his Australian citizenship.
“I can compete with overseas labour costs.”
Mr Landman said he had had formed a company with a Hong Kong partner to focus on the Asian market, where there was enormous potential particularly for the booming avocado industry.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Mr Landman said.
“As we grow this market we are going to have a bigger offering of second and third grade fruit. When we get too big we are going to kill ourselves because of waste.
“I can use conventional or organic.
“It’s got no additives, no preservatives and is completely natural.”
With an Australian patent secured, Mr Landman can now apply for a patent in other countries.
“I would love to roll this out in South Africa because size of avocado industry and it’s a hub for air-freight into Europe,” Mr Landman said.
Sustainability the key to future of agriculture
Sustainability is the key to the future of agriculture, Mareeba agricultural scientist and inventor Willem Landman believes.
“If the farm is not making money all of our wonderful ideas about the environment and how we are going to save the world falls in a heap,” the South African born plant and microbiologist said.
“If the farm is not making money saving the reef is the last thing on the farmer’s mind.
“We need to make the farmer sustainable and profitable and then we can talk about reduction of his fertiliser and other inputs.”
Mr Landman spent his formative working career in his home country with companies that were at the forefront of innovation, including helping mangoes flower out of season.
“From the start it was all about pushing boundaries.”
He applied for a job with a Brisbane-based processing company before moving to Mareeba where he started working for coffee industry trailblazers, Skybury, as plant health manager.
“I worked on making sure the customer has confidence in quality and then we embarked on optimising inputs,” Mr Landman said.
Currently, he is working with a major organic producer at Dimbulah, west of Mareeba, and wants to deliver a sustainability mentoring program for farmers.
“I want to start a mentorship program to take the farmers hand, talk about the fears and challenges and everything from cash flow and what it costs to put the box,” Mr Landman said.
“It’s unchartered territory but if we don’t adapt we become extinct.”
