To ensure food security and to attain maximum
productivity, mechanized cultivation of crops and
efficient irrigation systems must be introduced.
As today's labor force is reluctant to come forward
for agricultural operations in view of the tough nature of the job and low remunerations
and also considering the lack of efficiency of manual labor, Sakthi Sugars Limited
introduced 'mechanized sugarcane cultivation' as a means to increased productivity.
To implement mechanization of cane cultivation it also introduced the use of imported
cane harvesters from Australia and also indigenously designed and developed farm
implements to support the process. Again in order to enable the shift to mechanization it created awareness among farmers on the benefits they can achieve through
mechanization. It also educated them on sub-surface drip irrigation system for irrigation
and the need for creating 5.5 feet spacing between planting rows which facilitate the
use of mechanized cane harvesters.
This shift of 5.5 feet spacing between planting rows ensured the use of mechanized
cane harvesters which lowered the costs and yielded better tonnage per acre for the
farmers.
Farm Implements designed and developed by Sakthi Sugars Ltd.
Modified Tumkur plough
- It forms deep furrows for optimum placement of cane
setts and
- Ensures better ratoonability.
Disc Off Barrer– It is a multi utility implement used for
- Debarring-cum-Fertilizer Application and
- Fertilizer Application with Earthing up.
Roto incorporator
A versatile implement useful for
- Weeding in wider row spacing and
- Trash Incorporation.
Sakthi Drip lateral laying machine
Sub Surface Drip Lateral Laying and Furrow Maker for cane
planting.
Tractor for Inter Cultural Operation ( New Holland
3030 medium tractor )
4 Feet Width Tractor designed for inter cultural operations in sugarcane viz., Weeding,
Earthing up, Off barring, Trash incorporation.
Tractor mounted sprayers
Useful for large scale spraying of,
- Chemicals to control Early Shoot Borer.
- Weedicide.
- Micronutrient.
Mechanical harvester
The mechanical harvester is an ultimate solution for millers
and sugarcane growing farmers.
Sugarcane farming is not so laborious compared to other
crops. But since sugarcane is an annual crop it easily
requires 215 – 220 labor per annum to cultivate one acre
area of land. In this, the majority of labor, say about 75 -80
of them will be required for harvesting alone, that is about
33 % of the total labor requirement. If we look at Harvesting it is the least preferred job
among agricultural labor as it is the most laborious and time consuming job performed
in poor working conditions with poor monetary returns. The lack of agricultural labor has
also made harvesting a costlier affair in sugarcane farming.
Advantages of sugarcane harvester:
For farmers
- Increased yield because of effective harvesting as it roots down to the bottom
level of the crop i.e. 2'' below the ground level.
- Saves additional expenses spent on stubble shaving.
- Fosters better ratoon rejuvenation as harvesting is done well beneath the ground
level.
- Leads to increased number of ratoons. (Multiple ratooning).
- Results in better ratoon performance as harvesting operations are taken up in
one stretch.
- Sugarcane trashes which are left in the field as small pieces get easily
decomposed. It also acts as mulch to the field and reduces the risk of early shoot
borer besides saving the crops during drought period.
- The harvested cane is delivered to the factory within 1- 2 hours of harvest, which
avoids weight loss and sucrose inversion.
- Uniform and reasonable cost of harvesting for the entire season.
For millers
- It ensures uninterrupted cane supply.
- Results in a sustainable supply during festival days also.
- Multiple ratooning ensures no drastic changes in the cane availability from year
to year.
- Wider row system reduces the cost of operation to the farmers and enables them
to realize higher profit. This enables economic cost of cane to be maintained at
reasonable levels making it profitable for both the farmers and the factory.
Cane Mechanization brings numerous benefits to the sugar industry. It helps cane
growers to stabilize their cane yields. It also reduces the cultivation expenses
considerably. The profit margins to cane growers improve significantly. And any move
that increases the efficiency of this sector will in turn ensure the survival of the industry
and make it more competitive in the world market.
Akin to Cane Mechanization a decade and half back the use of paddy harvesters were
unheard off. Now use of paddy harvester is in magnificent proportions and due to which
the area under paddy cultivation are still maintained in spite of labor problems. Likewise
the sugarcane harvesters have also came into existence for the farming community to
achieve sustainable productivity.
