Cut your harvesting costs in half

Double the tonnes of cane cut per man hour, double tonnes per litre of fuel and double tonnage capacity per capital dollar invested are the aims of Cannavan Cane Technologies Pty. Ltd. in the Burdekin.
A new harvester chopper system is being developed which could be the breakthrough that is needed to develop a low cost, lightweight, fuel efficient, yet high capacity double row harvester, which can be transported on roads with just the need for a pilot vehicle.
The chopper system is being developed by Cannavan Cane Technologies Pty. Ltd. as part of an SRDC funded Grower Group Innovation Project (GGIP).
Murray Cannavan said that the current design of harvesters restricts the development of double row harvesters.
"Their high costs, high energy use and high weight put them out of reach for most of the industry.
"We are developing a completely new concept for double row harvesting which will be light, efficient, high output, and that has the potential to develop into a new rural based manufacturing industry," Mr Cannavan said.
Harvesting costs are a significant, essential production cost and will continue to increase with rising labour and fuel costs.
"The economic advantage to the sugar industry from the success of this concept will be a substantial reduction in harvesting costs in every facet of harvesting - labour, fuel and maintenance," he said.
Mr Cannavan said "With the price squeeze forcing harvesting groups to increase in size to stay viable, and with no increase in throughput of harvesters, the hours needed to be worked are becoming detrimental to family and community life and plain dangerous."
"The grains industry began mechanical harvesting at a similar time to cane. They also harvested small swaths, however in their pursuit of efficiencies, they now harvest swaths of up to 15 meters."
"The sugar industry needs a suitable harvester to allow for increases in harvester swaths, which will ultimately lead to reduced costs."
It is anticipated this new harvesting concept will be able to harvest the total biomass at high throughput, which is not possible with conventional harvesters, to allow for trash cogeneration and reduce the need for burning.
The GGIP funding is being used to assist in the final stages of development, building, testing and the circulation of results of this innovative new chopper system. The twin chopper system is built as a single unit that cuts cane delivered to it by two feed trains.
Mr Cannavan believes the successful development of this chopper system could lead to a manufacturing industry in rural Queensland that would provide jobs in the sugar community and once again see us at the leading edge of harvesting technology world wide.

A prototype double row harvester is currently being assembled and it is planned to be in operation for the 2009 crushing season. If you would like more information please contact Murray Cannavan on (07) 47821577.