Diagnostic of the mechanization of oil palm crop in Colombia

To advance the research agenda in the mechanization of oil palm production, some plantations were selected in each of the palm growing regions of Colombia (East, Central, West and North). These plantations had to meet the following criteria: large plantation (> 500 ha) and with some degree of mechanization in certain activities of the productive process. Once selected, visits guided by agronomic managers, or their assistants, were conducted in each plantation; a photographic record was taken and a survey form related to previously defined research lines was filled out. Emphasis was placed on the equipment used, the relative frequency of the technologies and the performance of the mechanized operations. This study concludes that there is a heavy reliance on manual labor and poor labor performance, which directly affect production costs.