Mechanisation of the Plantation Industry

What is the issue?

The plantation sector (coffee, tea and rubber) is acclaimed for its rich heritage.
However, the industry is at a crossroads in terms of financial sustainability, calling for mechanisation.

What are the feasible new techniques?

India is 50-100 years behind Japan in terms of mechanisation.
There is a need for changing the mindset towards mechanisation as being anti-yield and anti-quality.
Precision in harvesting through mechanisation is an opportunity for increasing crops and reducing costs.
With the help of a continuous withering system, assembly line concept in tea harvesting and manufacture can be achieved.
Automation in fertiliser application has appreciable prospects in terms of optimisation of dosages and effectiveness.
The potential of drones will lie in pest surveillance with simultaneous spot application.
Breeding must undergo fundamental changes as incremental yield increases are no longer enough.
A mechanised green leaf factory in case of tea, as in the Japanese model, is a good target to pursue.
Use of digital technology in improving real time controls of process parameters will enhance quality and reduce cost.
This can be used with specific reference to temperature, moisture and grade recovery.
Convergence of mobile phones, bluetooth and sensors offers a wide range of control opportunities and can be a low-cost alternative.

What is the case with prices?

Tea - Low price discovery (vis-a-vis end consumer price) is the single biggest threat to the tea industry.
Successful marketers no longer need to be producers; in fact, it becomes a burden.
So rationalisation of supply through quality upgradation by producing speciality products is the way to go.
Speciality products by virtue of higher end consumer price will automatically give a better primary farmgate price.
Therefore, grade and product differentiation is the key as certain higher grades produced in small quantities, have high demand and offer high value.
Coffee - In coffee, separation of ripe and semi ripe berries offers quality improvement avenues.
This is coupled with mucilage (a layer surrounding the coffee seeds with a sticky, sugary substance) removal process.

What is the way ahead?

The plantation industry must learn to run the business with fewer people as shortage of manpower is an opportunity and not a threat.
As, employee cost amounts to 65% of the cost of production (as against a maximum of 20% for other industries).
So the need of the hour is to leverage the power of global technology and best practices.

Source: BusinessLine