Comparative between motorized harvesting and manual harvesting system in oil palm plantation / Che Mohd Amirul Che Mat Nawi

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has developed a motorized cutter popularly known as cantas for harvesting fresh fruit bunch (FFB) where as we expect it can produced double productivity, low cost and light weight compare to conventional manual system. But it is contrary where conventional manual system is more provides fast pruning, harvesting is easy and comfortable control. Trial carried out on manual harvesting system (using a conventional sickle) revealed that the productivity was get 250 to 300 bunches per day ( equivalent to 5.00 to 6.00 t day" at a bunches weight of 20kg). The productivity very much depends on the cropping level, the topography of the plantation area and the operator 's skill. By comparison, the productivity of motorized harvesting system (using a cantas) is only 230 to 250 bunches per day (4.6 to 5.00 t day"). Therefore , the productivity of manual harvesting system . is equivalent to two human harvester. Using the manual harvesting system the plantation company would able to reduced 50% of labour requirement in the harvesting operation. Another advantage of this cutter is that the height of palm until 15 m does not restrict its usage. As for the economics of the manual sysytem, based on the conventional manual sickle the cost per unit is only RM 200 where can used until 3 to 6 month depend on maintenance and good care. The cost effectiveness was calculated at RM 0.52 t-