Experience and analysis on sugarcane mechanization at a state farm in China

Abstract

The level of sugarcane mechanization in China is low. Manual work is the basic manner to plant sugarcaneexcept tillage and the productivity and economical profit is very low. Since later 1996, a set of machines was imported, ateam including Guangqian Farm in Zhanjiang, China, AGPRO (an American company), Inchape (Dowell Engineering),South China Agricultural University and Professor Stephen Herbert from Massachusset University conducted an all-sidesugarcane mechanization project in the farm. The objectives of this paper were to evaluate the working perfomance ofimported machines, make economic analysis on the results of mechanization test and advices about the way to developsugarcane mechanization in China and how the foreign company can get success in Chinese agriculture. The experimentwas started in early 1997 and ended in April 2000. The experimental process indicated that sugarcane mechanization wasa complicated system engineering, the mechanization systems need not only advanced machines and agricultural technicesbut also the cooperation of many taches (the field condition and agricultural situation, management and service level, thecooperation of all taches in harvesting system, etc) and the delay of any tache could affect the working efficiency of wholesystems. To summarize and evaluate the experience in the large-scale mechanization experiment was very important topromote the development of sugarcane mechanization and improve the mechanization level in China. SCAU researchteam is continuing the mechanization tests in an area of about 50 ha with GQ staff who contracted that piece of land. Thetests are going well and the experience is reported.