Avocado packing plant in WA cuts casual staff by half with $17 million robot upgrade

The Avocado Collective’s packing shed in Manjimup, Western Australia, has introduced nine Japanese-built robots for $17 million, cutting its casual staff by about half and raising weekly processing from 1 million to 2.52 million kilograms. Operations manager Craig Boyce highlighted the machines’ consistency, safety benefits and ability to handle tasks previously done by hand stackers, scanners and forklift drivers. Growers welcomed the shift, noting difficulty finding local labour and a desire to lessen dependence on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme that brings in around 400 workers regionally.

UnionsWA’s Rikki Hendon and University of Sydney professor Chris Wright expressed concerns about community impacts and the need for transition support. Despite the cuts, the collective says some roles have been upgraded to robotic-technician positions, and industry bodies stress that physical labour will remain essential.