DRW
From Sowing to Delivery – Automating Pea Production
Through a collaboration spanning over 20 years, Prevas and the food producer Foodhills have developed a comprehensive system for managing crop sowing and harvesting. The solution uses weather data from SMHI and automates the entire chain – from sowing planning to finished frozen products.
A New Beginning Built on Trust and Relationships
When the Findus factory in Bjuv closed in 2017, Foodhills AB was founded to preserve the conditions for continued operations – both for former employees and local farmers in Skåne.
“We faced a major challenge, going from a complete standstill to full production in just a few months,” says Håkan Nilsson, System Manager at Foodhills. “But thanks to the strong relationship we had with Prevas from the Findus days – and access to the system previously developed for Findus – we were able to quickly adapt the solution to fit our own production.”
Large-Scale Seasonal Production with High Quality Standards
Foodhills runs large-scale pea production, managing the entire chain – from sowing planning to ready-to-ship frozen products delivered to customers across Europe. With a seasonal production window from June to September, precise timing and efficient handling of large volumes are essential. During peak season, the company produces 200–250 tons per day, 6.5 days a week, under strict traceability requirements from field to frozen package. Prevas acts as a long-term development partner with a support agreement that ensures continuous operation and ongoing development.
“The agreement includes development planning meetings, structured issue management, and intensified support during the production season,” says Jörgen Fahlberg, Support Engineer at Prevas. “During the high season, we provide 24/7 support with a maximum response time of one hour.”
Pea production involves complex processes that require meticulous planning and control – from sowing strategies based on weather conditions and soil analyses to managing field harvesting as crops mature progressively throughout the season. Once harvested, the peas must be received, sorted, and quality assessed, followed by packing and freezing. Throughout the entire chain, full traceability must be maintained – from field to finished product – all while operations often run around the clock during peak season.
Prevas combines technical expertise with a solid understanding of our business.
Håkan Nilsson, System Manager at Foodhills
Tailored Solution for the Entire Production Chain
Since the early 2000s, Prevas has delivered a customized solution that manages the entire production chain. The system has evolved into a modern, web-based platform. Among other things, it is integrated with weather data from SMHI to ensure optimal timing of sowing and harvesting, detailed planning and tracking of when specific fields should be processed, and with MES systems and order management for sorting, packaging, and freezing.
“We’ve created a tailored and scalable solution to meet Foodhills’ needs, where data is gathered from both SMHI and quality measurements of the peas,” says Jörgen Fahlberg. “The system monitors scheduled sowing and harvesting, and enables detailed planning of agricultural activities.”
The system also communicates with the production line and filling stations, which sort the peas by size and quality. It ensures complete traceability from field to finished carton, with labels indicating content, quality, and origin – along with inventory management of large volumes headed for cold storage or direct delivery to customers.
“The most important thing is that production runs smoothly, without interruptions and with high quality – everything just has to work,” says Håkan Nilsson. “We have full traceability from field to finished product. We know exactly where and when products were made, and if any quality issues arise, we can immediately isolate specific batches to avoid complaints.”
Sustainable Growth through Technical Expertise and Industry Insight
The solution has provided Foodhills with significant advantages – including automated control of the entire production chain, guaranteed traceability, and a process that supports locally produced, sustainable food production.
“Prevas combines technical expertise with a solid understanding of our business,” says Håkan Nilsson. “Together, we’ve developed a solution that not only addresses today’s challenges but also enables future growth and development.”