A profitable harvest: Harvester cost versus effectiveness for the small to medium grove.

 

In this piece we will be examining cost versus effectiveness for hand held harvesting equipment. There are other options available such as tractor mountable combs and trunk shakers, which are equally effective (more so if you consider the labour savings), however outlay costs are dramatically heightened. What will follow is a comparison between hand harvesting rakes, electronic harvesting kits, pneumatic harvesting systems with pruning options and motorised branch shakers. All of these harvester types are readily available in Australia, each with good back-up service.

 

The method of manual raking the olives from their branches has been around for long into the history of olive cultivation. Predominately used to harvest table olives, the gentle raking of olives into catchment frames or buckets lowers the risk of bruising. They are sold individually or in packs and can usually be mounted to regular broom handles. Simple hand rakes are a popular option for families who share the harvest exercise together. The outlay cost for plastic rakes are extremely low at approximately between $3.00 & $6.00 per unit. The trade off, of course are in the labour costs, which are at the opposite end of the economic scale due to the extended effort and slow harvest speed.

 

Fast becoming the preferred method of harvesting oil-producing olives for the small to medium growers in Australia, electronic harvesters are varied in their cost, effectiveness and complexity. Portability is a key issue when selecting an electronic olive harvester. The majority of these harvesters in Australia are available with either a backpack or trolley and extension cord option. Due to advancements in design and technology in recent years, electronic olive harvesters have proven to be effective at removing multiple varieties at great speed. Pricing is as about as varied as the differing brands of harvester’s themselves, with pricing ranging from anywhere between $600.00 and $6,000.00. Important points to consider when there are many brands to choose from are brand strength, back-up service, effectiveness on your olive variety or varieties and existing user testimonials. Although lightweight in comparison to branch shakers, electronic harvesters are usually weightier than the pneumatic equivalent. The Campagnola Alice Electromechanical olive harvester is hugely effective at removing all olive varieties quickly, however it weighs slightly more than the Campagnola Diablo pneumatic olive harvester. The trade off here is weight versus effectiveness and consumer choice in our experience, will normally come down to grove structure and personal preference.

 

The air powered olive harvester is an old favorite for growers in Australia. With minimal moving parts, low cost and high efficiency, the pneumatic harvester is a great option for the small to medium grower. The latest pneumatic harvesters available beat their rakes at 30 strokes per second and weigh around 1 kg in the head unit. Although cost per unit is typically cheaper than other mechanical options, the pneumatic system does require additional accessories. Firstly, you will require an air compressor with a reasonable air output (check brand specifications for free air delivery), good ultra-violet resistant air hose, a trailer or vehicle to carry the compressor and around 500g of air tool oil per season. The cost saving in a pneumatic set-up appears when 2 or more individuals are harvesting at the same time and/or the same system is used to operate multiple pruning attachments.  For around $10,000.00 a grower can purchase a power take off compressor (which draws power from the drive train of a tractor), four air powered harvesters with extension poles and hose reels or alternatively, the grower can purchase 4 electronic harvesters for around the same cost (depending on brand). The electronic alternative, although it comes with the freedom of portability, additional pruning equipment such as chainsaws, loppers and hand pruners are going to come at a greater expense in comparison to attachments for an air system.

 

The engine driven shaker is the powerhouse option for the small to medium grower.  Although they usually come with adjustable harnesses and the grower needn’t worry about trailers, trolleys or backpacks the branch shaker is far heavier, weighing anywhere between 8kg and 15kg. Branch shakers are typically effective on most olive varieties and are used in olive growing areas around the globe where terrain conditions do not permit other harvesting methods. An advantage to the branch shaker is that it does not contact the fruit to remove it, making it (with the use of a good catchment frame) perfect for table olive harvesting.

 

An important note to take away from all of this is that there is a harvesting option for your grove. Choosing one that saves you time, effort and headaches can be an arduous exercise but an important one nevertheless. With any luck what you have read here today brings you a step closer to finding a suitable or better harvesting method, tailored to your olive varieties. Eclipse Enterprises Australia imports and promotes the range of specialised olive equipment from Campagnola of Italy. For further information, you can contact Eclipse Enterprises Australia via email on info@eclipseenterprises.com.au or telephone on (08) 8351 8611.

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