Transforming from Hand Labor to Mechanical

Harvesting A change of concept

1945

Over 100 years ago man have

transformed from hand labor to

mechanical harvesting in

Agriculture.

Xinjiang,China

With that change, man had to face

new issues like:

• Size of fields

• Loss of yield in the field

• Waste in the plant

Combination of mechanical harvesting and hand labor

US

Each transition, like in Cotton and

Tomatoes, was accompanied by great

waste which agrarians had to learn to

accept as part of the change.

Mechanical Tomato Harvesting Israel

Cotton HarvestingIsrael

It is clear today that no farmer would go

back even if wastage was to be decreased.

Bottom line, from my own personal

experience, mechanical harvest gives

more crops, although it seems as if there

is more wastage in the fields.

Mechanical Harvest China

The advantages of mechanical harvesting are:

• Continuous harvesting with lesser limitations–

some crops can be harvested 24/7

• Equal results between mechanical and hand

labor harvest as far as damages to the crops

and dirt.

• Hygienic work without human touch.

• High capacity

Bell Pepper Mechanical Harvesting

Portugal

In the last 30 years many have tried to

mechanize Peppers' harvesting.

The solutions reached were partial and

limited to a small variety of Pepper kinds.

Stripping the fruit without causing any damage to the

fruit or plant enables second Harvest

The challenge is:

• Develop a mechanized harvesting solution that

equals to hand labor quality

• High capacity

• Adapt the plants machinery

There should be synergy between the Variety Research & Growing to

development of the harvesters:

• Harvest, sort, filed preparation, irrigation system, containers, arrive

in the plant, cleaning the crop in the plant.

• The demand for mechanized solutions is growing even in the

developing countries.

Around the globe, labor becomes more expensive, as lesser people

want to work in agriculture, while the demand for the products

grows.

Reducing Aflatoxin – Mechanical picking/harvest eliminates the need of hand

touching the fruit and keeping it exposed on the ground which leads to Aflatoxin .

We need to look into the future and think about Food Security and how are we going to feed the world in 20 years, considering the rise in labor coast, the rise in oil prices and Global weather change .

One-time of sweet paprika dried harvest on the plant.On the ground is fruit that

fell from the wind.Israel

Thank you!

Elad Etgar+972 505 245 925

elad@eladetgar.com