the role of engineer in agricultural & fs sector
TRANSCRIPT
THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN
Agricultural and Food
Security Sector
MR B.TANDARAYEN
SENIOR ENGINEER
MINISTRY OF AGRO-INDUSTRY & FOOD SECURITY
PRESENTATION IN THE CONTEXT OF INDUSTRY SEMINAR – UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS 2015
Introduction
We argue that the practice of
engineering does not exist outside the
domain of societal interests.
That is, the practice of Engineering has an
inherent (and unavoidable) impact on
society.
Engineering is based upon that
relationship with society (inter alia)
Further the Engineer is part of the Industry
to service the Society.
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Engineering Profession
Our contention is that the
central focus of the
Engineering Profession is the
application of the scientific
knowledge through the
industry to meet societal
needs.
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Student in Engineering
“a significant measure of an
engineering career that is
characterised by continued
professional growth”
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Professional Responsibility
and Professional Ethics
The need to lay emphasis on the following topics is
the responsibility of the Professional Engineer:
Safety and Welfare of the Public and the client
Professional Ethics
Legal Liabilities of Engineers
Environmental Responsibilities
Quality
Communications
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Cont…
Each of these topics relates to the
interaction on an Engineer to
Others: Clients, Society, Industry,
Employers, employees and to the
Engineering Profession.
Engineers should study Engineering
Ethics from the perspective of a
moral agent as opposed to a moral
judge
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Category in mid 1800
Five Clusters:
1. Mechanical & Production
2. Civil & Structural
3. Electrical & Electronics
4. Chemical & Materials
5. Transport & Marine
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Role of the Engineer In Industry
Typical Focus Areas:
Project Management
Manufacturing, Production and Distribution
Productivity, Methods and Process Engineering
Quality Measurement and Improvement
Program Management
Ergonomics/Human Factors
Technology Development and Transfer
Strategic Planning
Management of Change
Financial Engineering
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Types of Industries
Aerospace & Airplane
Aluminum & Steel
Agriculture & Agro-
processing
Construction
Consulting
Electronics Assembly
Energy
Entertainment
Forestry & Logging
Insurance
Materials Testing
Medical Services
Military
Mining Oil & Gas
Plastics & Forming Retail
Shipbuilding
Transportation
State /Government
Laboratory
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Techniques use by Engineers in
Industry Benchmarking
Design of Experiments
Employee Involvement
Equipment Utilization
Flow Diagramming
Information & Data Flow
Diagramming
Interviewing for Information
Lean Manufacturing
Organizational Analysis
Modeling & Testing
Operations Auditing
Pilot Programs
Plant & Equipment
Layout
Project Management
Simulation
Six Sigma projects
Statistical Analysis
Strategic Planning
Theory of Constraints
Time Studies
Work Sampling
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Ministry of Agro-Industry &
Food Security
Policies and strategies regarding the non-sugar sector will have to consider the challenges, namely:
a) Production of a larger volume of quality food-
crops to satisfy the needs of a much higher inflow of
tourists and meet the demand generated by a higher
per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables of a
population increasingly aspiring to healthier life style
b) Production of a wider variety of food-crops to
cater for the growing demand for safer and higher
quality food; and
c) Reducing cost of production through increased
productivity per unit area of land and per unit cost of
investment.
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Non Sugar Sectors
Adding value is vital for the survival of the first
process in the food chain: Agriculture.
Along the corporate lines, to be profitable it is
essential that through growing, processing,
distribution, and market chain, skills are applied by
farmers, growers and fishers.
At all points along the chain, ways are being
found to facilitate the addition of value profitably:
through strategies regarding
Safety, Supply, Quality, and Innovation.
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Sugar Sector
The future prospects for the Sugar Industry are not
too bright with decreasing revenue, fierce
increasing competition and limited scope for
development.
The way forward is in revisiting and reengineering
of the existing service providing institutions in the
Sugar Industry to respond to the new needs of
stakeholders of the Sugar Sector.
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Engineering Division of the Ministry
of Agro Industry & Food Security
The Engineering Division offers a key and
essential service to enable the Ministry
machinery to function smoothly.
The Engineering has its office together with its
Workshop at Richelieu where all its activities
are centered.
The Engineering Division is part of the
Agricultural Services under the Ministry of
Agro-Industry & Food Security, and provides
Technical and Engineering support to all the
Divisions and Departments.
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Structure
The Engineering Division is headed by the
Principal Agricultural Engineer
assisted by the Senior Agricultural
Engineer and
a team of Agricultural Engineers
(Agricultural/ Civil/ Mechanical),
Agricultural Superintendent,
Senior Technical Officer, Technical
Officer, Draughtsman,
Senior Technical Assistant and Technical
Assistant
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Principal Engineer
Senior Engineer
Engineer
Engineer
Engineer
Pre- Registration
Trainee Engineer
Senior Technical Officer
Farm Structure &
Irrigation
Senior Technical Officer
Plants & Equipment
Pre- Registration
Trainee Engineer
Senior Technical Officer
ENGINEERING
WORSHOP
And comprises of the
following units:
1. Civil Works & Farm Building and Design
2. Central Workshop, Farm Machinery &
Heavy Vehicles
3. Irrigation and Drainage
4. Mechanical Unit - Arsenal
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Engineering Division Agricultural Development Division
Animal Production Division
Agricultural Chemistry Division
Division of Veterinary Services
Agricultural Information Division
Horticulture Division
Entomology Division
National Parks and Conservation Service
Forestry Services
Agronomy Division
Land Use Division
Support Services Unit
National Plant Protection Office
Food Technology Laboratory
State House & SSRBG
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1. Farm Structure & Drainage The Civil Works & Farm Building Unit of the Engineering
Division is responsible for:
1) The structural design and implementation of Ministry’s Building, Farm structures and Civil Engineering projects;
2) The maintenance of Ministry’s buildings and farm
structures;
3) Ensuring the structural soundness of buildings and Civil Engineering structures for the safety of the public
and staff;
4) The assessment of structures and the preparation of
technical assessment reports;
5) The repairs and rehabilitation of Ministry’s buildings and farm structures through the use of proper
techniques and materials;
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2. Engineering workshop Under the Mechanical Engineering Workshop, a labour
force of around 90 workers from various grades
Such as Workshop Supervisor, Foremen, Motor Mechanics, Carpenters, Masons, Painters, Coach Painters, Plumbers &
Pipe Fitter, Fitter, Turner Machinist, Plant & Equipment
Operator, Automobile Electrician, Welder, Blacksmith,
Drivers, Drivers Heavy Vehicle, Lorry Loaders, Vulganisers,
Clerical Officers, Storemen, Office Attendants, General
Workers
are called upon to execute maintenance works on Farm
buildings, Plant & Equipment, Vehicles, Agricultural Implements and other duties of the Engineering Division
A Fleet of 125 vehicles
Plants and Equipment: 250 items
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Interventions … 24
servicing, 19.45
tyre renew., 12.86
tyre mting. O/dept.. , 1.07
tyre repair, 10.64
clutch rep. , 1.76
battery renew., 2.37
engine rep., 0.69 wheel balance, 1.68
body rep. Minor , 7.20
wheel align., 1.91
suspension, 2.07
steering, 1.30
hyd. Rep., 1.68
elect. Rep., 18.22
cooling syst., 1.07
fuel syst., 2.22
silencer rep., 3.06
starter rep., 1.07
alternator rep., 0.69
% of intervention per job category
Expenses….
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0.00
50000.00
100000.00
150000.00
200000.00
250000.00
JAN. FEB. MCH. APR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. NOV. DEC.
S. PARTS
LUBRICANTS
LABOUR
OUT SERVICES
3. Plants & Equipment -
Outstation
The Ministry of Agro Industry & Food
Security is the only Ministry that has
the responsibility to
Maintain seven (7) incinerators
throughout the Island and it has a
cold seed store comprising of five
(5) rooms each of a capacity of 20
Tons of seeds.
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Cont…. The main Plant & Equipment under the
responsibility of the Engineering Division are:
Tissue Culture Unit – Lighting & Air Conditioning
Seed Production Unit - Equipment
Food Technology Laboratory (FTL) - Equipment
Generators and air Compressors,
NPPO - Heat Treatment Plant, Sulfuryl Fluoride
(SF) & Fumigation Plant
APD -Incubators Refrigerated Egg Cooler
All Air-conditioning Unit of the different
divisions
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Design calculation,
technical specifications
Refrigeration plant: +ve and – ve temperature
room
Air Conditioning System
Burner sizing for incinerator
Pump sizing
Sizing of hot water heater plant
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Important factors in Design
Calculation – Refrigeration & Air
Conditioning Plant
Size
Outside Design Conditions
Inside design conditions: Temperature- Positive or
negative and R.Humidity
Type and quantity of Product to be stored and
use
Normally 24hrs
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Methodology Water Requirement of the species, soil type, number of emitters needed
and spacing between them.
Consider the flow rate/ emitter.
Then we calculate for the whole plot.
Layout of the system- with the different parts.
Estimate the length of pipes required.
Selection and Sizing of pipe.
Work out by calculations the head loss along each pipeline.
Pump selection.
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Design consideration of
burner for incinerator
The correct size of an incinerator is the most
important consideration
General Refuse Equivalent (GRE)
For example 1 kg of general hospital waste will burn
slower than paper of general refuse.
Hence, it said it requires the same incineration
capacity as 1.25 kg of general refuse.
This is called the General Refuse Equivalent of
general hospital waste
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Sizing the incinerator
For example it there are 100 kg of general hospital
waste is to be incinerated then the size of the
incinerator = 100 kg × GRE of 1.25 = 125 kg
If operated for 4 hours, capacity = 125/4 = 31
kg/hr
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Project involvement
Solar Photovoltaic Power Generating System (Grid
tie and Stand-alone)
Evaporative cooling system – conservation of
vegetables
Rain water Harvesting
from building for nursery
Inverted roof in fields
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Challenges
Environment issues
Procurement procedures
Sustainable maintenance
Training and development of
employees
Occupational Health & Safety
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CONCLUSION
Broad array of perspectives for
the Engineers in the
Agricultural and Food Security
Sector
Great opportunities for
Engineering research and
implementation projects
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