Research Station Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil, CH-8820 Wädenswil

ArboPlus, a tool to support management skills of fruit grower

ACW developed an Excel based tool called ArboPlus to help growers to roughly evaluate their situation on orchard, farm and family level. Information has been collected within workshops and interviews with consultants for fruit production and business. At orchard level, growers can analyze their productivity and compare it with a benchmark. At farm level, they can evaluate the balance, cash flow, cooperation, satisfaction with their employees and buyers, retirement arrangements and employment situation. Family level can also be evaluated: sharing of work, cohabitation of generations, self competences and external workplace. The main results are summarized on four issues: work-life-balance, finance, selling and work. With this information, it’s possible to choose the objectives and define strategies. In the following year, growers are able to control the achievement of their objectives. Thus, with ArboPlus growers can roughly analyse their economic situation. Topics such as plant protection and environmental aspects are not integrated. ArboPlus has been developed for fruit growers and is only available in German so far.

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