ABSTRACT
This study was developed to maximize revenue from commercialization of sugar by optimizing the crop harvest within continuous scheduling periods subject to constraints on processing capacity and minimum proportion of farm area to be harvested. Specific constraints were developed to guarantee the continuity of the harvesting calendar per farm. The mathematical model employed is based on a Mixed Integer Linear Programming structure (MILP). Scenario analyses were conducted with the proportion of the farm to be harvested altered. An important finding was that a harvest scheduling pattern emerged as the proportion of the farm’s land to be harvested increased, being this pattern broken when the minimum harvested area increased to 33% of the farm’s cultivable area. Results are also useful for the evaluation of the feasibility of movement of equipment during harvesting operations.
Keywords:
sugarcane; optimization; harvesting; scheduling
