Mr. Sudhakar Hegde Thotadamane, Sirsi, Karnataka (one on the right) with his newly invented areca nut peeling machine (Photo credit: Mahadev Bhat)

After many years of trials and tribulations, engineer and entrepreneur, Sri Sudhakar Hegde, has invented a machine that can peel green areca nuts and has brought solace to thousands of areca growers who face growing labor shortage year after year. “This has not been easy,” says Mr. Hegde. “This latest prototype that is now ready for the market is my eleventh attempt of re-designing and reengineering.” 

Although traditionally green arecanuts, which result in red nuts (kempu adike), have fetched higher market prices than white nuts (chali), growers have cut down the production of red nuts over the years because of the shortage of labor. Automation of dehusking of green nuts has been an engineering challenge due to variation in size and tenderness of areca nuts. 

Mr. Hegde’s latest machine is a major development in addressing the above challenge, with more than 80 to 90 percent peeling efficiency, depending on the size and maturity of green nuts, and almost no rejections.  There have been other machines in the market, but this one by far seems to have the best result. What is remarkable is that Mr. Hegde had put down his own money of more than Rs. 40 lakhs into developing the peeling machine, yet is very humble in acknowledging the small monetary support (Rs. 1.3 lakh) from the Malenadu Krishi Trust for this latest prototype. His effort of more than a decade is finally paying off. At the time of this report, he had orders on hand for more than 15 machines.

This is an example of what HAA Krishi intends to achieve, i.e., promote research and development in support of automation of crop protection, harvesting, and dehusking of areca nuts.  The HAA Krishi members have organized several technical workshops for farmers and cooperative leaders.  As a result of HAA’s intense effort for the past several years in India, seven major farm cooperative societies, which represent more than 20,000 farmers, have come together to form a trust, called Malenadu Krishi Trust (MKT).  The trust was inaugurated in March 2019, with its headquarter in Sirsi, Karnataka.  HAA is a member trustee of MKT.

The MKT trustees also have pledged to support these activities through direct financial contributions each year.  The HAA Krishi members are providing the Trust with technical advice for establishing an incubator lab in India in support of agricultural automation research.  One other activity of the Trust is to identify grassroot innovators like Mr. Hegde, who are developing various machines, and bring them technical help in order to improvise their existing agricultural machines.  In 2018, HAA established the HAA Krishi Development Fund through donations from its members.  This fund is being utilized to support the activities of the MKT like the new peeling machine developed by Mr. Hegde.  

Members behind all our Krishi initiatives 

• Dr. Mahadev Bhat (Chair)
• Dr. Naveen Hegde   
• Dr. Subray Hegde  
• Dr. Ramesh Hegde  
• Dr. Ravi Bhat   
• Dr. Dinakar Bhattramakki
• Dr. Shambhu Bhat
• Mr. Sumanth Hegde   
• Mr. Shivu Bhat   
• Mr. Gajanan Hegde   
• Mr. Venkat Bhat   
• Dr. Shankar Hegde       

We encourage HAA members to take part in this initiative by contributing to the Fund. You may contact us at krishi@havyak.org