Labor productivity assessment of three different mechanized harvest systems in Colombian oil palm crops

Labor shortages are increasingly problematic in rural areas worldwide and, in particular, in the oil palm sector in Colombia. Therefore, alternative methods and systems that increase labor productivity, such as using machines for collecting and lifting fresh fruit bunches (FFB), are needed. In oil palm cultivation, the most labor-intensive process is harvesting. We aimed to assess the labor productivity (in t · FFB/person/day) of three harvesting systems using mechanized lifting systems (harvest A: manual cutting, manual harvesting using meshes, carts, and livestock and lifting using a hydraulic arm; harvest B: manual cutting, manual harvest using a tractor, and lifting using a side-turning container; and harvest C: manual cutting, mechanized harvest using a tractor-grabber, and lifting using a side-turning container). Two bunch density scenarios were considered. Data were collected from adult palm crops in three oil palm plantations in the Eastern Plains of Colombia, and similar crop yields were obtained. Labor productivity was 1.20–2.53 t · FFB/person/day depending on the FFB density and the harvest system. Finally, the cost per ton harvested was $ 8.9–$ 16.6 per ton, being lower in the systems that demanded fewer personnel. The highest labor productivity and the lowest cost per ton harvested were obtained for harvest C.