Muscat –
Four students of University of Technology and Applied Sciences Muscat have developed a machine to improve efficiency of date harvesting.
The team of Moataz Abdullah al Muqbali, Ayoub al Nadabi, Suleiman al Wahaibi and Ahmed al Daghaishi was inspired by the sultanate’s initiative to plant a million date trees.
In 2021, Oman Investment Authority took over the management of the Million Palm Trees Plantation Project, which now has 11 farms spread in different governorates – two farms in Dakhliyah (Nizwa and Samail), three in Dahirah (Ibri), one in North Sharqiyah (Ibra), one in South Sharqiyah (Al Kamil), two in Buraimi (Al Sunainah), and two farms in Dhofar (Sheleem and Maqshan).
Explaining their motivation, team leader Muqbali, said, “We decided to develop this machine because farmers involved in the Million Palm Trees Plantation Project traditionally harvest dates manually, which is labour-intensive and time-consuming. We aim to streamline the collection process with our machine, ensuring it’s both efficient and safe, thereby boosting productivity while reducing human effort.”
The machine’s key components include columns for height adjustment, an electric saw powered by a battery, a hydraulic motor, a collection basket, and a handle for easy manoeuvrability.
Highlighting the challenges the team encountered while developing the machine, Muqbali said, “One of the main hurdles was the unavailability of data on date farms and cultivation practices, which are not well documented and region specific. This led to a prolonged period of research to gather all the necessary information for our project.”
Financial constraints and need of proper guidance from experts and companies also posed obstacles. The team persevered to complete a prototype and are now focused on finetuning the machine for optimal results. The team aims to secure a patent and eventually commercialise the innovation.
The team is grateful to Dr Mohammed al Saidi, its supervisor, for his unwavering support throughout the project, and Nakheel Oman Company for facilitating visits to various farms, enabling it to gather insights and information, and discuss the project with specialists.
“Omani youth should believe in their ideas, work diligently towards their goals, and not be discouraged by challenges. Success requires sustained effort and belief in one’s vision,” Muqbali said.
