KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Plantation Bhd
(SDP) is leveraging the advancements in robotics to develop a machine that can be used to harvest oil palm’s fresh fruit bunches (FFB), which it hopes would be ready to be deployed within the next five years.
Its chief research and development officer, Dr K Harikrishna said if the mission is successful, the industry will be able to reduce its dependence on manpower, especially in harvesting work.
“So maybe by 2026, we can reduce our dependence on foreign labour, but it may take a while. We’ll see if we can speed it up, ” he told Bernama.
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