A Queensland company plans to revolutionise Australia’s cane harvesting operations, dramatically increasing the quality and quantity of cane reaching the mill, while driving up incomes for growers and harvesting contractors.
The Sugar Cane Harvesting and Logistics Optimisation Tool, or SCHLOT, is the brainchild of father-son team Chris and Stuart Norris.
The pair, who founded Norris Energy Crop Technology in 2009, believe that current practices aimed at reducing the cost of harvesting operations are actually costing the industry tens of millions of dollars each year in lost cane and lost quality.
“The industry is overly concerned with harvesting costs and doesn’t seem to appreciate the value of sugar being lost,” said Stuart, an aeronautical engineer with experience in the defence, aerospace, resources and agricultural industries.
“Contractors are paid by the tonne and they obviously need to cover their costs, so it is not surprising that many of them simply cannot afford to focus on cane quality and reducing losses.
“I think most people would agree that Harvesting Best Practice reduces losses and gives a better job, the big question is whether or not the gains of HBP outweigh the cost.”
“SCHLOT is about finding that ‘Sweet Spot’, where everyone makes more money.
“The research shows that every dollar saved through shorter billets actually costs around $5 is lost sugar – we want to give the industry the knowledge and confidence to keep that $5.”
SCHLOT, which is currently in the final stages of development, can overcome these issues Stuart claims .
The online modelling system estimates the best financial outcome for any harvest event by finding the right balance between increased costs and reduced losses.
“SCHLOT considers over 150 parameters in each calculation, so it has most of the variables you can think of covered, and we’ve found good correlation with actual trial results so far.” Stuart said.
“We understand that this is a cost sensitive industry, but giving people the power to compare cost savings and lost income will mean more income for the industry as a whole.”
Norris ECT is currently in talks with various milling groups interested in trialing the SCHLOT modelling system in their region.
Stuart believes that once the industry begins to recognise the size of the prize, adoption of SCHLOT will pick up pace across Australia’s milling regions.
However, he admits that industry-wide adoption would require a significant increase in the size of Australia’s cane harvester fleet.
“Ultimately, the harvester fleet would need to increase by 50 per cent,” Stuart said.
“That’s obviously a significant investment in machinery, in the region of $250-$300m over time, but when weighed up against the benefit, which SRA themselves conservatively estimate at around $150m of added value to the industry each year, then we believe it’s an investment worth making.”
