TUGAS AKHIR PERBANDINGAN TENAGA KERJA MANUAL DAN SEMI MEKANIS DALAM MENINGKATKAN KUALITAS DAN KUANTITAS HASIL PRODUKSI TANAMAN TEBU DI KEBUN MKSO KALITELEPAK

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a strategic commodity that is the main raw material for the national sugar industry, so the quality and quantity of the harvest have a major impact on the yield produced by sugar factories. In the post-harvest process series, cutting, loading, and transport (TMA) activities have a crucial role in maintaining the principles of sweet, clean, and fresh (MBS) before the sugarcane is milled. The current condition of the sugarcane industry in Indonesia, especially in East Java, is faced with the problem of scarcity of cutting labor, which encourages the implementation of semi-mechanical methods as an alternative solution to replace the manual method that has been used so far. This study aims to compare the manual and semi-mechanical TMA methods on the quality and quantity of sugarcane production, as well as provide recommendations for the most appropriate method to be applied in the next milling season. The study was conducted in March–November 2025 at the MKSO Kalitelepak Plantation using a T test with 2 treatments, namely manual loading and mechanical loading, each with 5 replications and 10 sampling points per replication, so that a total of 50 samples were obtained. The quality parameters measured include the Brix value and sugarcane grade (categories A, B, C, D, and E), while the quantity parameters include the harvest yield (tons/ha), the duration of the cutting and loading and transporting process, and the costs incurred for these activities. The results of this study are expected to provide considerations for companies in determining the most appropriate TMA method to use, as well as serve as a reference for further research..
Keywords: Harvesting Loading Transportation, Manual Method, Quality, Quantity, Sugarcane, Semi-Mechanized