FAM STUMABO, which engineers and develops industrial cutting machines for potatoes, has highlighted the difficulties processors are facing in recruiting and retaining skilled operators.
Strategic Director Guy Baeten said: “Labour scarcity stopped being cyclical. Processors now assume permanent difficulty.”
Such difficulties are driving demand for automation, integrated lines, and machines that reduce manual handling and operator dependency.
The change in direction was brought to the fore at the recent Fruit Logistica event, where the company exhibited.
Guy said pressures that once appeared temporary have become structural and conversations at the show revealed how demands from processors are changing. Cutting is no longer viewed as a mechanical step. It has become a critical driver of quality, yield, and downstream performance, he said, pointing out that uniform cuts and controlled cell damage directly influence shelf life, visual appeal, and processing stability, making cutting precision central to protecting margins and brand value as throughput increases.
Discussions at Fruit Logistica highlighted that processors want to test solutions on their own products and validate performance before committing to an investment.
“Test labs and customer trials allow processors to move from assumptions to evidence. They can validate cut quality, yield, throughput, and product behavior on their own raw materials,” said Guy.
