Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 6.1.
The effect of the fibre to hurd ratio in relation to potential product prices.
Price structure 1-5
Ratio%
1
2
3
4
5
Low
High
5
Loss/t
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
77
Hurd/t
$ 450
$ 500
$ 550
$ 600
$ 650
$ 450
$ 650
18
Fibre/t
$ 1000
$ 950
$ 900
$ 850
$ 800
$ 800
$ 1000
100
Stalk value $ 527
$ 556
$ 586
$ 615
$ 645
$ 491
$ 681
5
Loss/t
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
70
Hurd/t
$ 450
$ 500
$ 550
$ 600
$ 650
$ 450
$ 650
25
Fibre/t
$ 1000
$ 950
$ 900
$ 850
$ 800
$ 800
$ 1000
100
Stalk value $ 565
$ 588
$ 610
$ 633
$ 655
$ 515
$ 705
5
Loss/t
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
65
Hurd/t
$ 450
$ 500
$ 550
$ 600
$ 650
$ 450
$ 650
30
Fibre/t
$ 1000
$ 950
$ 900
$ 850
$ 800
$ 800
$ 1000
100
Stalk value $ 593
$ 610
$ 628
$ 645
$ 663
$ 533
$ 723
5
Loss/t
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
60
Hurd/t
$ 450
$ 500
$ 550
$ 600
$ 650
$ 450
$ 650
35
Fibre/t
$ 1000
$ 950
$ 900
$ 850
$ 800
$ 800
$ 1000
100
Stalk value $ 620
$ 633
$ 645
$ 658
$ 670
$ 550
$ 740
While the complete PW System is not pres-
ently operational in Europe, China or North
America, every segment has been proven
and, to a large extent, those efficiencies
documented. The PW System is not just a
concept; it is a proven reality. Other new
systems are being developed around the
world; however, there is no 'complete' new
system yet in existence where a comparison
can be made.
The three main areas of inefficiency in
the existing systems are in: (i) field harvesting;
(ii) bulk handling and transport to mill; and
(iii) Stage 1 feed into a mill processing system.
All of these elements are addressed with the
PW System and equate to a 30-35% reduc-
tion in production costs and a 20-25% reduc-
tion in the price of fibre and hurds to the
market. While there is only a slight increase in
field operation capital equipment costs (i) and
(ii), there is considerable (40%) reduction in
capital equipment at the processing and han-
dling stage (iii).
Field harvesting.
Present harvesting sys-
tems for fibre require the crop to be cut
down and dried before baling (Fig. 6.14a
and b). A typical high-yielding crop will
have stalk 4 m (12 ft) long with a density of
over 80 plants/m
2
(10-12 t/ha). Because
of the density and length, a special har-
vester is required to cut the stalk down
and then chop it into approximately 0.5
m lengths, leaving it in a windrow for effi-
cient drying. If the stalks are not cut into
0.5 m lengths, they will be too difficult to
handle in the raking process. The windrow
is raked two or more times to dry the stalk
down to 12% or lower and dislodge all leaf
matter before it is ready for baling.
This
process means 3 machinery passes, fuel
and labour.
Bulk handling and transport.
The windrows
of dried stalk are compressed into large bales
in the field (round or square), in a way simi-
lar to other straw or hay crops. These bales
have to be picked up one at a time and put
on to a trailer, which next moves to a storage
location on the farm and is then covered with
a tarpaulin or stored in a shed.
This proc-
ess means 1-2 machinery passes, fuel and
labour.
EXISTING TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESSES
USED
.
Existing technology to process bast
fibres into the two distinctly different fibre frac-
tions (bark and wood) effectively has not
evolved over the past 50 years.
