Cooperative Extension Service
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
George
Boyhan, Extension Horticulturist-Vegetables
East Georgia Extension Center
Nessmith-Lane Building, 2nd Floor
PO Box 8112
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
912-681-5639 | 912-681-0376, Fax | 912-682-3481,
mobile
The August 12, 2004, Vidalia Onion Committee meeting was considerably more upbeat than it had been in the past. It looks like the VOC is getting things back on track concerning their finances. They have paid off their note at the bank and have enough operating capital to take them through to the next season.
They had originally decided not to do any advertising or promotion this year, but they have decided to participate in the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit International in Anaheim, California. Jeff Hall, the new VOC manager, will be attending. This event is billed as the world's largest fresh fruit and vegetable event.
RFID, which stands for radio frequency identification technology, is poised to change how companies warehouse, ship and retail products. Wal-Mart is leading the charge with requirements from their top suppliers to implement RFID beginning in 2005. Other large retailers like Target and Albertsons are following suit.
FFID technology has been around for a while, but it has been too expensive for widespread use. This technology is now becoming more economical, and large retailers are beginning to implement it. The technology relies on radio waves to read a tag attached to an item. Tags can be passive (no power source), which can be read up to a few feet away, or can have battery power for use at longer distances. The advantage of this technology compared to bar codes is you don't need line of sight for it to work as you do with bar codes.
These devices will be used to track inventory, handle reordering, etc., by companies employing the technology. Right now, companies adopting the technology are using it to handle inventory behind the scenes. For example, retailers will use the RFID tags on shipments coming to stores, but individual items won't have the tags, at least not initially.
The produce industry, just like other suppliers, will be required to use these tags if they plan to do business with companies wishing to implement it. Wal-Mart has been working with its produce suppliers such as Tanimura & Antle, Inc., C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., and Fresh Express Inc. to develop the initial model for implementation.
As with any new technology, there are privacy concerns with RFID tags, particularly if they become widely used on individual items. Conceivably, with the right tag, individuals could be tracked and personal information about what you buy such as specific drugs, etc., could be compiled. In short, this -- like any new technology -- could be misused.
I am planning a field day for October 21, 2004, at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center from 5:30-7:30 p.m. We will be highlighting research on a new pumpkin variety for south Georgia, organic Vidalia onion production, and organic no-till pumpkin production. I'll have more details about this event in my next newsletter.
Information on RFID was from the Web and the Packaging supplement from the August 16, 2004, Packer. Talk to you next month.