Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Fruit Logistica 2026 - Episodes from Day 1



***



It actually started even earlier than Day 1
Half the people on my flight Tuesday morning were headed to FL26.
How do I know?
At passport control, I kept hearing "Fruit Logistica" cited as the reason for visiting Germany.
To follow the trend, I told the officer the exact same thing 😎



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Fruit Logistica is the place to meet friends, fruits, and everything in between :).

Interestingly, it’s not just companies here; whole countries are competing for attention (read: future contracts worth thousands and millions). Because apples can be grown in the UK, Germany or South Africa.
Hence, to win this game, the first step is to make someone stop near the stand...

As a result, I’ve seen so much fruit & veg creativity - check the photos it's a bare minimum of what's going on here! 🤩



***


Technologies are mostly gathered in Hall 3.1. I spent a lot of time here yesterday and will be back today and tomorrow.
It’s an impressive collection of what's currently on offer for orchards and beyond.



***


At Fruit Logistica, I felt a real sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Opportunity) when it comes to the sessions.

There are so many great speakers on different stages simultaneously.
But the distance between stages is roughly a 15-minute crowded walk!

Anyway, yesterday I caught a bit about CEA and vertical farming.
Plenty's Dan Malech shared insights on how to not just survive, but truly prosper and grow in this challenging environment. (Product-market fit is the key, but more on that in a future post!)

Also I suspect a deeper dive into that topic is coming in Amsterdam this June (9–11). You know what I mean! ;)



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Drones are here in every variation — big, small, outdoor, indoor, beautiful, and... very beautiful 😘! I was particularly impressed by the cameras embedded directly into the drone frames.



***


Orchard monitoring — using drones to collect data on tree health and fruit load — is a hot topic. I met at least three (!!!) companies who explicitly shouting about it at their stands.
For those who were hiding I’m coming back today! :)



***


AI has found its way into the slogans of almost every company and startup. Sometimes it’s overused.

But since everyone is looking to optimize productivity, the sales teams are just doing their job.

But when you ask specific questions, it becomes obvious they are selling AI hype. I was just listened, but knowing the reality... it rarely works as advertised.



***

AI-powered quality control for fruits was represented by Petiole Pro and Maryna Kuzmenko, who wore a jacket with a perfect match for the fruits we analyze! 🫐🍎🍓



***

Final bit: one of yesterday’s conversations went like this...
We spoke for a few minutes, and then he said: "I feel like I know you, but I don't know from where. Are you on LinkedIn?"
I answered: "Maybe...
You know, our digital technology world is like a big village.
Everyone knows each other!" :)



Now, I'm off to Day 2 of #FL26 🤗


#fruitlogistica

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3 days ago | [YT] | 1

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

I hear the voices of juice apples, sunny oranges and happy bananas and yes I am following them - all routes these days go to  @FRUIT_LOGISTICA , let's meet there and discuss the innovations and opportunities 🍉🙏🍈☑️🍋🙂🫐🤩🍓

5 days ago | [YT] | 5

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Two truths can coexist.


Starlink is impressive — and still not enough.

Perhaps, for luxury yachts it's a proper fit 👑
But for farmers in Ghana, Costa Rica or Papua New Guinea it's unreal 😭

For rural and non-urban areas, connectivity is infrastructure as critical as roads, water, and electricity. And this is where Starlink genuinely changed the conversation.

On paper, it’s powerful:
-> LEO satellites delivering 100–250 Mbps download speeds,
-> Latency around 25–60 ms, and
-> Internet access in places where fibre simply doesn’t exist.

For farms, remote homes, islands, boats, RVs — this can be life-changing.

But reality...
Reality is always more... nuanced 😳

What people say:

1. Uploads often sit at 10–30 Mbps, which hurts video calls and content creation.

2. Performance fluctuates with congestion, weather, and even trees or chimneys.

3. The dish needs a perfect sky view.

4. The router struggles through thick walls.

5. Global outages have happened.

... and the price — £300–£500 upfront plus a premium monthly fee — keeps it out of reach for many.

Then even the bigger questions come.

👉 Do we really want critical connectivity to depend on one private company?

and

👉 What is the long-term impact of 7,000+ satellites on astronomy, space debris, and governance?

This post is not a recommendation to ban or buy Starlink.

Just a reminder that we need more starlinks and their relatives to bring the better rural-first connectivity models and resilient local agritech solutions.

What do you think about the matter?

#connectivity

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1 week ago | [YT] | 3

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Apples vs. Grapes – this is not a new game, but a real AI challenge! 🍎💪🍇
Officially it sounds like: “Apples vs Grapes: Mapping England's Fruit Transition with GeoAI”

I am truly honoured to work on this challenge together with the students and researchers of Loughborough University.

Our agri-food challenge is part of the AI Challenge Camp, chaired by Professor Diwei Zhou and organised to provide a hands-on, immersive experience for participants.

The results will be ready to show the world at the end of the week, and we will discuss them afterwards.



___________________


For now I want to answer five WHY questions you may have after reading the title of our challenge.



👉 Why Apples?



Because it’s one of the iconic British fruits and, just FYI – one apple a day keeps the doctor away 🤗. We must have a proper supply of locally grown apples to preserve the health of the UK residents and save the national symbol. However, without proper policies and support for apple farming, apple orchards “could halve in 12 years without action” (Great British Apples & Pears, 2025). We need a clear and up-to-date spatial picture to look at this heritage.



👉 Why Grapes?



UK viticulture is booming (+75% in area of planted hectares between 2019–25, The Guardian & WineGB). However, in the UK the amount of agricultural land is not increasing at this pace. We need to quantify how the balance between these crops is evolving on the ground.



👉 Why England?


We are starting our analysis in Kent — historically the core fruit-growing region of the UK. If capacity allows, we aim to extend this evidence-based map to the rest of England or even the wider UK to track this transition.



👉 Why fruit transition?


Because switching from apples to grapes is a fundamental, long-term shift for land use and local business. To make either an apple orchard or a vineyard profitable, the minimum time is three–five–seven years, depending on the variety, system and management.


👉 Why GeoAI?


Because it’s the only realistic way to get this level of precision at scale. We are using a high-tech stack to get the job done. I also added a screenshot from Google Trends for the term “GeoAI” — you can clearly see the waves of interest.

I am grateful to Andrii Seleznov (Andrii Petiole Pro) for his GIS + AI contribution to this project 🙏



___________________


So, let’s see what’s going on with orchards and vineyards in the UK – the challenge begins! 🚀


PS: I added extra tech info in the comments - if you see that we are missing something, please tell us! 👇

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1 week ago | [YT] | 6

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Inspired by The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) I sent a letter to the UK Department for Education to contribute agri-focused suggestions to the curriculum review (due to be announced in spring 2027).



Why?
Because farming isn’t just “land-based work” — it’s science, data, climate resilience, food security, and innovation.


Yet we’re seeing declining youth engagement and growing gaps in plant science, agri-tech, and food-systems literacy.



My suggestion is NOT to reinvent the wheel.



I took practical examples from:
🇯🇵 Japan
🇨🇭 Switzerland
🇩🇪 Germany
🇫🇮 Finland
🇸🇬 Singapore



They are already doing great work in agricultural education.
We don't need to copy-and-paste but adapt and adjust their approach -> to the reality of the British farming lifestyle.

Based on their successful practice, the next steps for the UK could be:



1. Make STEM feel real again (through agriculture, plus make it STEAM - add a bit of Arts 🥰)


Put agriculture case studies inside biology, geography, climate systems, data science — not as optional enrichment.



2. Soil literacy = climate literacy.


Teach soil as a living system: water retention, biodiversity, carbon storage, crop resilience.


3. Food + finance + future thinking.

Help students understand supply chains, production costs, pricing, and innovation under constraints.


4. Build a credible skills pipeline.

Ensure every student grows and harvests at least one plant by KS3.


5. Elevate the Agriculture T Level with clearer progression and modernisation.


6. Pilot Farm Experience Weeks (Year 10 / Year 12), modelled on Swiss/German approaches.

🌱🌟🙏


2026 could be a year of positive change.

Considering that the National Curriculum is reviewed roughly once a decade, we have a real opportunity to make agricultural education and climate literacy a stronger, higher-status part of what every student learns.


💪🚜🎓



If you’re an educator, farmer or parent: what would you add to make “food, farming, and land” a high-status part of UK learning — for every child (urban or rural)?

#Education #STEM #drmarynakuzmenko

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Why LAMMA 2026 is no longer "just a machinery show" 🚜🌱

The agricultural calendar just shifted.


For the first time, ‪@lammashow1‬ , ‪@croptec-show‬ , and ‪@lowcarbonagriculture2186‬ have co-located at the NEC Birmingham.

If you are a "forward-thinking farmer" - you have already known this: the goal isn't just to see new kit.


It’s to navigate a "360-degree view" of a rapidly changing industry.

So can we call it a "powerhouse event"? Absolutely!


These are three "why?" answered.


1. Seamless Co-Location
700+ exhibitors and three massive shows under one roof.
It means operational efficiency.
Instead of three separate trips away from the farm, you get a "one-stop shop". It reduces the "extraordinary amount of change" fatigue by consolidating your market research into 48 hours.


2. Live Demo Arenas & Keynote Theatres
Real-time machinery testing at LAMMA and "Profit Theatres" at CropTec.
It means de-risked decision making. You aren't just reading a brochure; you’re speaking directly to engineers and peers who have adopted different farming systems. This turns raw technical specs into actionable strategies you can trust.


3. The Sustainability-Tech Hybrid
AI-powered energy diversification alongside hydrogen-combustion engines and gene-edited crop innovations.

It's all about future-proofed profitability.
This is where carbon moves from a cost to a "new revenue stream".
Y ou aren't just looking at a tractor; you’re looking at an energy asset that helps you reach Net Zero goals while strengthening financial resilience.



The real value of 2026 isn't the individual parts — it's the convergence.
🚜 At LAMMA: You see the hardware (The "What").
🌱 At CropTec: You learn the science/agronomy (The "How").
🌍 At Low Carbon Ag: You find the energy and policy roadmap (The "Why" and "When").
_____________________



My most valuable takeaway from Birmingham show:

Stop looking at your machinery, your soil, and your energy bills in silos.

To be a successful farmer tomorrow, you must be a technology integrator today.

_____________________

Were you there?

What was the one piece of tech or insight that shifted your perspective for the 2026 season?

Let’s discuss in the comments 👇🤝👍

#Lamma26 #CropTec #LowCarbonAgriculture

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Yesterday, I shared some personal reflections on last week’s The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC).
Today, I want to highlight a few professional insights I took away from Oxford.

OFC stands apart from other UK agrifood events because of the presence of key stakeholders speaking on behalf of entire sectors within agriculture.

It’s not a place to go deep into technical detail.
That can be done elsewhere or at home 👍

Instead, OFC is where you hear signals.
Those signals then echo across smaller, more specialised events throughout the year.

My notes include far more than the eight signals I’ve shared here, but in short, the main directions of discussion were:
-> Policy certainty & implementation
-> Water as a limiting factor
-> Human sustainability & wellbeing
-> Data, measurement & collaboration

These signals don’t predict the future
But they do show where attention is shifting.

What do you think about these signals? 🤔

#OFC26

_______________
Disclaimer (Just in case)

1. The views expressed do not represent the official positions of any organisation or speaker and are the unpaid opinion of one individual (‪@drmarynakuzmenko‬).

2. References and statements are used for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as exhaustive or universally applicable.

3. Any forward-looking statements involve uncertainty and may change as policies, markets, and environmental conditions evolve.

4. This content is intended to inform discussion, not to provide financial, legal, or operational advice.

5. For further questions or comments on this topic, please contact me right here, right now 😉

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 5

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

What I really love about my first The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) is the practical outcome: we were not only speaking about resilience - we were growing it, right in the heart of Oxford.

Climate resilience

1️⃣ Snow covered half of the UK just before our travel day. Delays, cancellations — perfect environment for resilience. But at the final destination of the journey we were gifted with a warm smile by Kelly Hewson-Fisher, one of our OFC directors in 2026 Inspire Programme. What a start!

2️⃣Have I mentioned “snow”? It was actually cold rain and wind the very next day.
Together with Will Sanders and Liz Bowes we rushed through the High Street to make it to the Oxford Union Debate.
We didn’t have an umbrella, but we had a great team of three which was far more important.

3️⃣ As a cherry on top: a cold shower on Day 3
When I say “cold shower”, it’s not a poetic metaphor but quite a real fact in our morning routine. However, being resilient & being uncomfortable are sometimes indeed synonyms!

Change resilience

4️⃣ It was 7:18 AM on Thursday when I got lost somewhere in the middle of the Mike Potter Memorial Run. I was too naïve to believe that my gym treadmill preparation would be enough for the brutal Oxford run alongside OFC people running at something close to Mo Farah’s pace.

So I stopped at the crossroads.
No sign of any OFC fellows around…
The decision came instantly: re-route.
With today’s technology changing direction at any point in life isn’t a question at all.

5️⃣ I was absolutely privileged to sit next to Baroness Minette Batters DL for half of Day 1. It was pure coincidence and happened right after a very embarrassing moment earlier.

Still recovering from my morning run, I forgot to silence my phone during the Farming Profitability Review session.
Of course it rang exactly as the Baroness was summing up the 57 recommendations.
Then I hit the wrong button in panic...

If you were one of the almost 100 people in Room 11, my sincere apologies for interrupting your session.
I won’t do it again, promise!

Emotional resilience

6️⃣ I’ve pitched my company, Petiole Pro, many times. But how about pitching… my city?
I was NOT prepared for that elevator pitch at all. While walking with Jon Williams | BASF Agricultural Solutions to Post-Debate Dinner, I was challenged on the spot & tried to explain why Peterborough is the happiest place to live (please don’t trust those who say the opposite - ask me!)

7️⃣How many coaches are there on the Oxford–London train?
I have no idea.
But without any prior agreement, I met David Hill in my coach on the way back. What a nice conversation we had! Plus being stuck near Reading for 15 mins - also resilience lesson, I think

8️⃣ Finally, during the OFC days I felt genuinely good because of my Inspire circle: Adam, Agnes, Andrew, Anna, Beth, Bronagh, Jessica, Laura, Matthew, Morgan, Tom
Resilience - only together!

To sum up my #OFC26, I have nothing but this:
Fall seven times.
Stand up eight
💚

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 8

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Yesterday, exactly at this time, I was at the Oxford Union Debate.
Moreover, I was contributing my 2 minutes on the co-location of data centres and greenhouses.



Now I’m on my way back home after three intense days of The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC)
I’ll write about these days separately.

The only aftertaste I have right now is full acceptance of resilience as the main personal skill to develop in 2026.

Considering that the world is heading in a pretty unknown direction
(no, I haven’t read the news for the last three days — I’m just analysing pieces of conversations I overheard),
we still have a reason for hope.

But it’s very important to highlight:
neither me nor anyone else can give you hope.

You can grow it only by yourself.

How to grow hope?
Simple!



One lady yesterday in our 15-minute conversation (but it feels like I’ve known her all my life 🥰), she told me that when she’s feeling desperate or sad, she does something quite easy. She does push-ups.

The gym is too far from her village, but push-ups are kind of free antidepressants… and good for the body 💪🏻

I don’t know why, but I trust her.

It sounds like a crime NOT to try this truly unique method on such an occasion 🤣

I suggest resilience and hope appears immediately after the first session (however, subject to confirmation 🙂)

Have you any experience of using this method of personal growth?

PS: I’m getting off at the next station. Tomorrow I’ll continue! 💚

#resilience

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

It feels like everyone has done a 2025 year recap apart from me.
Let’s do it now!
___



👉 My biggest discovery: AI agents.
They’re a bit costly (ouch!), but when you work with them, you feel like the future isn’t somewhere else — it’s right in front of you, on the screen.


👉 My deepest concern: water.
And the deeper I dive, the more I understand that water trading is something we’ll have in 10 – 20 years.
As of now, strict water monitoring of those available scarce drops (I'm thinking of Western Europe in late August) is a must-have.


👉 My unexplained self-discovery: how I managed to deploy a quick-and-dirty prototype of an Agroforestry Chatbot (RAG, LLM) by myself.

However, what came before that was my greatest learning.


👉 My greatest learning: agroforestry.
I opened a book — it was about how to make any farm profitable — and I stayed there… because suddenly everything makes sense!
Agroforestry is hope for farming (two or more revenue streams; biodiversity gains; applicable in wide range of conditions).


👉 My brightest memory: I walked into a room full of ladies. After a quick look, chat & a little exploration of what we can do TOGETHER, my internal imposter quietly left the room. I stayed there!
(Thanks, Innovate UK Women in Innovation Community Forum 💜 )


👉 My most memorable inspiration: I walked into a different room — full of ladies and gentlemen of my age with a strong farming & agrifood background. After a warm ice-breaker session and a chat, my alien feelings flew away. I stayed there!
(Thanks, Oxford Farming Conference, for the opportunity to be part of the Inspire Programme 💚)


👉 My best-ever philosophical advice, received by me (inexperienced) from someone wise:
"What to do if I’m not good enough?"
"The only thing you can do is continue your way and educate yourself. During this journey, you’ll meet someone who will sincerely believe that you are definitely good (and more than enough)"


👉 My best-ever empowerment: the final sentence of Navy SEAL Echos:



"I will not fail"

It’s worth memorising and repeating it every time — in all environments, on any mission.


👉 My biggest promise: to publish a portal with Petiole Pro mentions in 110+ research papers.
So where’s the announcement?
In tomorrow’s post 🤩
Please, come back 🙏
_________________________


Instead of a conclusion



"Mum, we’ll have a wild party at school tomorrow to celebrate the end of the year"
"What do you mean by “wild”?
"No fancy dress, but the teacher said we will play lots of games with my friends and will be free to chat with each other — with no “told-offs”


Sometimes I see that in our digital, busy, crazy business & human world, all we need is a teacher who will announce a wild party 🤣



However, considering that teachers are very busy people — let’s move the world around by ourselves.


Let’s meet and chat (no fancy dress is required).



And may the biggest impact of our work be born in the next 52 working weeks 💫 🌱 🚀

#personalreflection #drmarynakuzmenko

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1 month ago | [YT] | 9