InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – There would be values when cultivation palm oil plantations. If the asset has has higher values, but it is not being taken care or ignored, one thing for sure, palm oil plantation companies or smallholders that cultivate the plantations would not be successful and not highly having profits.

One of the values is about picking, and managing palm oil seed. If it is managed well, palm oil seeds would have some economic values.

Though the seeds are one smallest production in palm oil plantations, but if it is ignored, there would be loss for the companies.

Every palm oil harvest would deliver seed (that may fall on the ground). It is the criteria to weigh the mature fresh fruit bunch (FFB) after being cut off. FFB that naturally gets gathered may fall one or two seeds.

In general, the falling seeds are picked up by one hand directly one by one or if not, if some (workers) want to make it fast, they would use their two hands and grab the falling seeds. This activity would also grab soil or sand with the seeds.

That is why, palm oil consultant and plantation, Dr. Memet Hakim had the initiative to make alat pungut brondolan (APB). Memet thought, APB could be used to take the seed on the land and even if it is spread around the tree.

By using the tool, one thing for sure, the seeds gathered would be clean from the dirt, sand, or soil. “And the rotting seeds would be longer to seeds that are mixed with the dirt,” he recently said to InfoSAWIT.

Not only that, using APB in palm oil plantations would deliver domino effects. The first, the equipment and tools in the mill would be longer to wear and tear because of there is no sand and land getting into the mill.

The second, every labor/worker that gathers the seeds would work straight, not squat. The third, APB can be usd not only to pick up seeds but could pick golf balls, potato that got spread in the field, small fruits, such as, orange and others.

“From the field tests, APB utilization showed the good things,” Memet said. (T2)