Mechanical Harvester Owner Hopes for Positive Season

NANDNI VANDHANA
LAUTOKA

Rakesh Narayan, the owner of Fiji’s first mechanical harvester is a very busy man this harvesting season as he hopes to harvest close to 10,000 tonnes of sugarcane this season.
My Narayan says he bought the machine four years ago from an Australian operator who was using the machine in Fiji.
“I was working at Better Harvesters where I learnt to operate the mechanical harvester and to maintain the mechanical aspects of it,” he said.
“I was a supervisor and also a driver with Better Harvesters and that is where I learnt to manage the mechanical component of the harvester.
“It is fully-hydraulic and all the parts are available overseas so we try and maintain the harvester in good form so we do not have to foot extra costs.
Mr Nayaran said when the owner of Better Harvesters was leaving Fiji, he bought it from him for $210,000 has managed to pay it off slowly.
Mr Narayan said the mechanical harvester has greatly benefitted him and he has taken contracts from farms in Lautoka over the past two years.
“We have lorry drivers to transport the harvested cane to the mills after it is cut and in a day, we can complete cutting on a whole farm,” he said.
A drop in the price of fuel has greatly benefitted him as the harvester uses $300 worth of diesel for every 100 tonnes of sugarcane cut.
“The drop in fuel prices has been a relief for me as we use $300 to $ 400 a day in fuel and this has eased the burden of the costs,” Mr Narayan said.
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