MIRI: An oil palm company, Sarawak Plantation Berhad, is on the verge of developing several machines to help boost the industry.
It has developed a few prototypes which are being put on trial at its Ladang Tiga plantation in Bekenu near here.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas yesterday morning was shown around by SPB executive chairman Datuk Amar Hamed Sepawi and its chief operating officer Iswandy Ayub.
The prototype that particularly piqued Uggah’s interest was a fruit harvester with extendable arm named the “H Harvesting Cutter”.
“This is a very interesting invention…something that will be a game changer for the industry not only in Sarawak but I believe in the whole industry.”
He said one of the biggest and perennial problems in the industry was getting enough workers to do especially the harvesting.
“We have developed the Cantas motorised cutter but it is not as advanced as this.
“The state government has agreed to work closely with Sarawak Plantation Berhad to further fine-tune the prototype harvester and develop it for the market,” he said.
“I would especially like to congratulate Abdul Hamed for his creativity and resourcefulness.
“He is the brain behind the harvester which is assembled by local and Chinese engineers.”
According to Hamed the machine is capable of harvesting five tons of fruit per day per person who would operate it.
“Manually a worker is only capable of harvesting 1.5 ton per day.
“We are now trying to push this to seven tons per person or operator per day,” he said.
He added the objective was for it to gradually replace the workers needed for the harvesting of oil palm fruits.
Hamed said it took his engineers three years to develop the prototype.
“We are now making it even more robust and adding in the robotics to its mechanical and hydraulic components,” he added.
