Harvesting by Using Grabber in Oil Palm Crops: a Case Study in a Plantation of Colombia
The harvest of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) in one of the processes that account for the greatest share in the total of production costs of oil palm cropping. Besides, the harvest is the most labor- intensive process when it comes to oil palm cropping. The latter must be considered since labor supply tends to decrease at rural areas. This is why, technologies such as the grabber, a mechanized system for picking up bunches from the floor, are interesting for growers. The grabber helps increasing labor productivity. The results presented here, correspond to a time and motion study undertaken in order to assess labor yield, once the grabber is implemented for harvesting. The study considered the seasonality in FFB yield (measured in tons of FFB/hectare) by analyzing labor yield during high yield months, against low yield months. Results indicate that the grabber picks up between 20.3 t FFB/day from 31 ha/day during the months with low yield and; 30.5 t FFB/day from 12.7 ha/day during the months with high yield. Regarding the unit cost per ton of FFB harvested, it was estimated a value of COP 24,263/t FFB at high yield months and, a value of COP 27,083/t FFB at low yield months. In conclusion, it is 10.4 % cheaper to harvest by using the grabber when there are high yields (t FFB/ha), which sheds light on the fact that mechanized systems require high yields to be cost-effective.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | spa |
| Published: |
Fedepalma
2020
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| Online Access: | https://publicaciones.fedepalma.org/index.php/palmas/article/view/13164 |
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