Dutch snack tomato grower starts snack tomato harvesting robot field trial

Following the successful trials of this year's program, new growers, including Van Marrewijk van Mil (a business unit of Greenco), have signed an MOU with inaho and confirmed their participation. Only two trial slots remain for the upgraded next-generation model.

Agricultural robotics company inaho.inc has announced that innovative Dutch snack-tomato grower Greenco will join its 2026 snack tomato harvesting robot field trial program. With this confirmation, only two slots are left.

A new-generation model: Commercial-ready
Following the strong performance of the current generation, inaho has completed an upgrade to its robot platform. Trial participants will be able to work with the newly enhanced next-generation model and gain access to the latest technical and performance improvements.

© inaho Europe B.V.

Key results: Field-proven performance now ready for real use
The harvesting rate improved from around 15 percent to more than 45 percent, more than tripling previous performance and significantly reducing the manual harvesting workload. The operating speed nearly doubled, reaching 20 kilograms per hour. At this rate, four robots can cover roughly one hectare. In terms of operational stability, the robots ran smoothly with no major failures during long-term operation at the grower's site this season. These results confirm that the robot has reached the technical and operational standard needed for commercial rollout.

Why growers decide to participate
Ruud Poels, Supply Chain Manager at Greenco, says: "When considering harvesting robots, people often focus on harvest-rate percentages. But that's not the whole picture. Beyond the efficiency numbers, what matters to us is real operational fit. With a compact, battery-powered design—no power cord and no complex infrastructure—the robot can be deployed exactly where and when we need it.

"At the same time, there's no upfront investment, and the usage fee is comparable to our current human labour cost. We see this as a low-risk trial that can help reduce future labour costs and our dependency on available harvest workers.

"When we look at all the key factors—not just harvest efficiency—it's clear that robots and people create the most value when they work together. It's also clear that the technology has reached a practical level."

Yu Mizuki, Director of inaho Europe, adds: "From our trial experience, we've learned that once robot harvesting goes beyond about 50 percent, the remaining tomatoes simply take longer for people to pick, which reduces their efficiency.

"When we optimize for the combined performance of robots and people, the current robot specification with a 45 percent harvesting rate turns out to be the right balance. It maximizes overall productivity without compromising either automation or human efficiency."

With two slots remaining, priority will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up here.