How SED Graders helps Stella Maris Oysters Co process more quality oysters in less time
For Stella Maris Oysters Co, the introduction of an SED Graders oyster grader was a no-brainer – virtually overnight it has increased their oyster volume four-fold… and most importantly, retained their ocean-fresh quality.
With more precious time to focus on other areas of their operations, Stella Maris Oysters Co have seen the true value of integrating SED Graders technology into their business.
Stella Maris Oysters Co
Stella Maris Oysters Co is an oyster farm in the Port Stephens region of NSW.
Owner Caju Barbosa came to Australia in search of a better life for his family. As a trained biologist, he always had a dream to set up an aquaculture farm.
And when he saw an opportunity to grow premium quality Sydney Rock Oysters in the tranquil waters of Port Stephens… he dived right in.
New to oyster farming, Caju was unaware of just how much hard work it took to process, clean and grade the oysters ready for market. But he soon found out.
“In the end, I learned how to hand grade really well and fast. But it still wasn’t enough. I could only get through one pallet of oysters in a day – that’s 10,000 oysters. And because of that, there’s simply no way I could grow my business over time.”
His desire to find an innovative solution to scale his oyster farm was what drove him to using an integrated oyster grading system. And now with SED Graders on board… three years in, he hasn’t looked back.
Faster, easier, simpler oyster grading
There’s no doubt in Caju’s mind that introducing an oyster grader has made his job – and life – much easier.
Among the many advantages of having the SED Graders equipment in his business was to dramatically increase his product output. What once took him a full working day now took him just one hour. And it delivers a consistent and superior washing of each oyster – making it a cleaner and more enjoyable tasting oyster.
The simplest way to preserve the ocean-fresh quality, in Caju’s opinion, is to reduce the amount of time it takes to move the oyster from water to bag. With SED Graders oyster grading equipment, the process couldn’t be faster. Plus, it has never been easier to adjust the grading profile.
“At the push of a button you can adjust the grader to distinguish two different sizes of the oyster catch. At the end of the day, it means you can get more out of your harvest.”
Committed to long-term success
For Caju, the level of support the SED Graders team offers has been what has really left him feeling confident and impressed.
“SED Graders was really prepared to make their oyster grader work around my business. They invested time and care to make modifications on the machine to fit into my facility. With a technician on-site for the first three days, I felt very confident knowing how to use the machine and was able to work through any questions or concerns I had.”
With the extra support from SED Graders offering phone support from technicians and the ability to resolve software issues virtually… his concerns of dealing with a company based in another part of Australia simply vanished.
Helping the next generation of oyster farmers
For us at SED Graders, seeing our grading machines help the next generation of oyster farmers succeed makes our job worthwhile.
No matter the experience of the oyster farmer or the size of their farm – we can help you to increase your productivity and dramatically reduce costs.
And we are here for the long run – since 1989! We are proud to offer ongoing support that exceeds your expectations. And give you more time to produce the best tasting oysters in the world.
Are you ready to make every oyster count? Find out more about our productivity-boosting oyster graders and equipment. Contact the team at SED Graders today.