Panaji: With traditional toddy tappers and coconut climbers becoming increasingly scarce, farmers in Goa are finding it difficult and expensive to get their coconut palms harvested. To address the problem, a petrol-powered mechanical climbing machine is now being tested in the state as a possible alternative to manual tree climbing.The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), North Goa, has procured the machine for demonstration and training. It has already been demonstrated at the govt farm in Mapusa in association with the mechanical cultivation office.“The machine is being tested to determine whether it is genuinely feasible and useful for farmers across Goa before any recommendation is made to govt for subsidy support,” said Vishwanath Gawas, zonal agricultural officer, Sattari.Developed by Mabens Engineering Solution, Karnataka, the machine is designed for palm trees and can be used on different types of palms. It costs around Rs 1.2 lakh per unit and can help a person climb a palm of about 25m in 30 seconds to two minutes, depending on the tree’s height. Manual climbing can take around four to five minutes.A single machine can assist in harvesting up to 300 trees a day.“Newly trained climbers can charge anywhere between Rs 80 and Rs 120 per tree, making harvesting a considerable expense for those of us who have large numbers of trees,” a farmer from Valpoi told TOI. “There have been times wherein the climbers have been so busy that we are forced to employ workers from Kerala to complete the task, and they charge much more.”Despite being motorised, the machine does not completely eliminate the need for human assistance. Two people are required to install the equipment on the tree, with one person climbing and the other assisting in fixing or securing the device. Depending on the harvesting method, coconuts can either be removed manually or dropped to the ground.If the machine proves feasible and useful during demonstrations at different locations, the department could consider procuring more units.“A petrol-powered machine cannot replace the skill, judgement and human effort involved in coconut harvesting entirely. It does, however, help get a person up the tree with ease. The equipment is therefore being looked at from the perspective of whether it can work effectively under Goa’s conditions,” Gawas said.
