Cantas @ Jendarata Estate, United Plantation

gambar semasa lawatan saya ke Jendarata Estate, United Plantation, Teluk Intan, Perak pada 31/12/2009.

About Myself

I am Abdul Razak bin Jelani, born in Muar, Johor. Working with Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), formerly known as PORIM since 1994. My responsibilities is to design and develop technologies for oil palm mechanization with the specific objectives to help the workers and industries to increase productivity and reduce cost of operation. For the workers, they looking for technologies that can help them to carry out the operation much easier, increase their productivity and increase their take-home pay. For the estates, their goal is to reduce labour requirement, reduce operation cost and to have a most efficient harvesting system. For the country, the main agenda is to increase productivity, to make the oil palm industry remain sustainable and to reduce foreign labours.

There are remarkable breakthrough of technologies that have been developed and some of them have been successfully commercialized by several several local companies.

Technologies such as Cantas, C-kat, Cantas7, Hi-Reach pole and Trunk injector, all have been commercialized successfully.

About Farm Mechanization Group (Farmech) of MPOB

This group is under Agronomy & Mechanization Unit, Biology Division, lead by En Abd Rahim Shuib. It is strengthen by 4 Researchers i.e my self, Pn Salmah Jahis, En Mohd Solah Deraman and En Mohd Ramdhan Mohd Khalid. Five Assistant Research Officers i.e En Mohd Borhan Selamat, En Johari Jamak, Pn Zahara Mohamed, En Zaprunizam Mohd Ali and En Aminulrashid Mohamed, and supported by 6 Research Assistant i.e En Yosri Gono, En Khairuddin Adnan, En Malik Nor, En Nordin Salleh, En Muhd Fauzi Ismail and En Mohd Saiful Azlee Kamal Bashah.

The main function of the group is to carry out R&D on harvesting, FFB infield evacuation, loose fruit collection and other field operations such as weeding, fertiliser applicator, pest & disease control etc.

The group is also responsible to conduct a course by the name of 'Kursus Operator Mekanisasi Ladang (KOML)' which aims to provide training to local youth to be a skilled operator in operating farm machineries such as tractor, tillage implement, harvesting tools, evacuation machines etc. The course duration is 5 months including 1 month industrial training at selected estates to expose them in a real surrounding of oil palm estates. So far more than 100 students have been graduated.

Team work is the group's strength which is the key of success. The management of MPOB continuously giving full support in-terms of facility and funding towards achieving the targeted goals.

However this blog only discloses on technologies developed under my supervision. Thank to all especially all my dedicated staff i.e. Johari Jamak, Zahara Mohamed, Aminulrashid Mohamed, Yosri Gono, Malik Nor, Muhd Fauzi Ismail, Saiful Azlee, Siti Rashidah and also other staff whom his/her name are not mentioned here who have contributed in the success of the project. Without their help and contribution, it is imposible to be at this level of success.

For the benefit of all, listed below are the technologies developed by MPOB and commercialized by several appointed companies. All the technologies have been patented world wide as to protect the intellectual properties (IP), and more importantly all these technologies are designed and developed by the Malaysian, "MALAYSIA BOLEH".......a number of patents have been granted and many more have been filed.

The technologies are as follows:


Motorised Chisel (C-kat)

C-kat is a short form from Chisel (C) and Cutter (kat) and therefore it becomes C-kat. In Bahasa Malaysia C-kat (Sikat) is used to comb our hair, but for oil palm C-kat is used to harvest fruit and to trim frond. Results from the trial showed that C-kat is able to increase productivity by 20 - 30% higher compared to manual chisel. C-kat is uitable for palms below 1.5 meters height. On the average the productivity per hour is 120 - 130 bunches with the coverage of about 1.5 to 2 ha per hour. The video below shows the C-kat in operation. Video taken from a commercial estate.


Motorised Cutter (Cantas TM)

For palms of 1.5 to 5 meters height, another tool popularly known as Cantas is used. It is a telescopic cutter powered by a 1.5 petrol engine (similar in C-kat) is able to harvest 500 to 900 bunches a day (depending cropping level). Field trials showed that the productivity is 3 folds higher than manual (sickle) and therefore Cantas is able to reduce labour requirement significantly.

MPOB has licensed both technologies (Cantas & C-kat) to 2 companies; (i) Jariz Technologies in Shah Alam, Selangor and Fancy Power Sdn Bhd operating in Kota Konabalu, Sabah.

So far more than 1200 units have been sold to respective buyers such as Borneo Samudera Sdn Bhd, Felda Plantations, Sime Darby Bhd, Kulim Group and smallholders.

Cantas has been recognised nationally as well as internationally by winning several awards such as Anugerah Kualiti Sektor Awam 2008, Gold Award MPOB 2007, The Very Best Award Malaysian Technology Expo (MTE2008) and Gold Award MTE 2008.














Cantas7

Cantas7 is designed for taller palms (5 to 8 meters height). It still uses the similar engine and cutting head, but the pole is made from carbon fibre which is lighter and less deflection which are the main properties for a longer pole.






Hi-Reach Pole
For tall palms (12 to 15 metres height), MPOB has developed a light aluminium pole called as Hi-reach. Its characteristics of light weight, lower deflection lower centre of gravity make it easy to handle even for very tall palms.