01

Results at a Glance

• 7,000m² cool room and packing facility

• Fruit cooled from 34°C to 0.5°C within one hour

• Pick, pack, cool and dispatch in a single day

• 100% of the crop packed indoors

02

Client Overview

Talia Farms is a vertically integrated table grape operation at Pike River in the Riverland region of South Australia. With 200 hectares of table grape plantings, it is one of the largest operations of its kind in Australia, growing proprietary varieties for export to Asia-Pacific markets during premium windows.

Field packing under the vine is common practice in Australian table grapes, and it puts a ceiling on quality. To meet the standard its export customers demand, Talia needed to pack in a controlled environment, at a scale and speed the industry had not seen. Entegra was engaged to design and build the facility to house Talia's packing line and rapid cold chain infrastructure, and to deliver it in time for the first commercial harvest.

03

Key Outcomes

Talia now packs 100% of its crop indoors. Rapid pre-cooling brings fruit from 34°C down to 0.5°C within an hour of picking, so grapes are picked, packed, cooled and dispatched on the same day. Shelf life is what earns premium prices in export markets, and the entire facility is built around protecting it.

The efficiency extends into the vineyard. Eighty pickers harvest 5 hectares in 8 to 9 hours, work that took 24 hours under field packing. Inside, an automated crate delivery system feeds the packing line, waste is captured and weighed at each packing station to track performance, and the layout follows the movement of fruit through every stage of processing. The cold chain runs unbroken from the moment fruit enters the facility to final loading, with a wraparound apron enclosing the truck at dispatch.

The project began with budget, schedule and project non-negotiables locked, and the design built outward from there. Talia's preferred refrigeration and grading suppliers were engaged early, keeping cost estimates accurate and delivery risk low. The facility was handed over ready for the first commercial harvest.