New Straits Times (27/06/2019) - MIRI: An oil palm company here is developing several machines that are capable to overcome the shortage of manpower in the industry.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said Sarawak Plantation Bhd has developed a few prototypes being put on trial at its Ladang Tiga plantation area in Bekenu near here.

Among the machines, he was impressed with a fruit harvester with extendable arm named the" H Harvesting Cutter".

“This is a very interesting invention. It’s something that will be a game changer for the industry not only in Sarawak but in the whole industry.

“One of the biggest and perennial problems in the industry is getting enough workers especially for harvesting.

“We have developed the Cantas motorised cutter (before) but it is not as advanced as this," he said during his visit to the site here yesterday.

The state government, he said, agreed to work closely with Sarawak Plantation Bhd to further fine tune the prototype harvester and develop it for the market.

Sarawak Plantation Bhd executive chairman Datuk Amar Hamed Sepawi is the brains behind the creation.

It took three years to develop the prototype, which was assembled by local and Chinese engineers.

According to Hamed, the machine is capable of harvesting five tonnes of fruit per day, requiring only one person as the operator.

“Manually, a worker is only capable of harvesting 1.5 tonne per day. Our target is to reach seven tonnes per person or operator per day (with more new machines) and to gradually replace the workers needed for the harvesting,” he said.

Uggah added that robotics were used for the machine in its mechanical and hydraulic components, and this made it a more robust machine for use in the industry.

Read more at https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/499528/robotics-overcome-manpower-shortage-sarawak-oil-palm-industry