Tracking raw materials is an alternative to help control sugar-energy production

By Bernardo de Castro, president of Hexagon's Agriculture division

28.04.2020 | 20:59 (UTC -3)

Tracking raw materials, especially in the sugar-energy sector, is one of the greatest current technological demands. This measure is a way of ensuring good flow in the production line, monitoring, with reliable and real-time information, from the origin of the sugarcane to its delivery to the plant where it will be processed. 

One of the reasons for this tracking of sugar cane is due to the type of plantation adopted in the country. It is common to use third-party land to produce the raw material, generally due to the quantity of sugarcane harvested or the qualitative analysis of the product. At this time, the manager of a sugar-energy industry needs to have a technological system at hand with accurate and auditable data. 

One of the main roles of agricultural technology is to ensure productivity and optimize processes. One way we can achieve this is through developments in the HxGN AgrOn platform, such as AgrOn Raw Material Traceability. Through hardware and software installed in harvesters, transshipments and truck trailers, it is possible to collect data from each stage of the process, recording the trajectory of the raw material until its final destination.

In the first stage, the harvester is paired with the transshipment and, through its own connection, sends the data captured during harvest to the transshipment. In the second, the transshipment transfers the data to the trailer that will take the production to the plant. Finally, in the last stage, the delivery of raw materials, the trucks arrive at the industry and the information from each truck is transmitted to the reception software. This field information is stored and accounted for in the company's management and control systems. With all the information collected, the system makes a joint delivery and linked to both agricultural and industrial management systems (ERPs).

In addition to increasing the accuracy of production data, by reading this information, it is possible to know the productivity of the area. This way, the manager can analyze his cultivation processes and plan, more effectively, the replanting of the sugarcane field. Tracking also guarantees the reduction of human intervention, improvement in the quality of operations and greater agility in transport logistics. These are important factors for efficient business management and increasing productivity rates. 

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