as Reported in Tea Times:Mechanical Harvesting Workshops:
1. Dibrugarh - 20th April,2011
2. Jorhat - 21st April,
3. Golaghat - 22nd April (Small Tea Growers)
4. Chengmari - 24th April, (Dooars)
5. Birpara - 25th April, (Dooars)
A string of workshops on Mechanical Harvesting were held by Mr. H.S. Sidhu, across the North East. A team from Kawasaki consisting of Ms Catherine Du, Mr. Yang, & Mr. Han also accompanied him (along with Mr S. Aggarwal of Aarkay industries -who have just got their agency in India).
The presentation was very interesting with a lot of recent innovations in harvesting, done by Mr. Sidhu. The one on ‘Unidirectional harvesting’ & on the new Wage-Structure’ was specially appreciated. The enthusiastic response from those attending and the discussions that followed showed that there was a desperate need for someone to show the road to harvesting. Means of overcoming all apprehensions about Mechanical Harvesting were clearly explained with recent photograph showing this. “ The Industry needs to recognize the extent of this problem, the loss it is causing to crop and quality and address it by looking at this ‘current-best-option’ – Mechanical Harvesting. Till the industry realizes the necessity of harvesting and starts demanding R & D to start work on this, we will have to depend on work of some individuals & progressive companies and learn from it.”
Photographs of all sorts of various harvesters in use across the world were shown and their workings explained. The criteria for selecting harvesters suitable to individual needs were discussed, which clones/seeds/prunes to select and how to decide on the individual garden’s harvester requirement was explained.
The Kawasaki team did a wonderful job in explaining the workings of their harvester and detailed explanation on its maintenance. They demonstrated the correct method of harvesting and explained intricacies of the machine. Mr. Sidhu had asked for their presence, as it assures their intent in being in the market for the long-haul. Aarkay industries also assured that they would have maintenance people in two places in Assam & one in Siliguri.
Many of those who attended thanked Mr. Sidhu for taking the initiative on his own to make planters realize the pressing need of mechanical harvesting & the tremendous benefits it offered " Tea Times
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