Final Year Project Logbook

 These are the objectives I am focusing on at the moment 1)      To select the ideal location for the cornfield and agro-processing plant using the Factor Rating Method. 2)      To determine the best machinery required to cultivate and manufacture the corn into corn flour. 3)      To outline the human resource structure needed on the cornfield and agro-processing plant. 4)      To determine the start-up capital and costs associated to begin the agricultural and manufacturing processes.

I am posting some costing information I gathered so they can be referenced at a later stage.

During this short meeting from 5:15-5:30 pm, I updated my supervisor on what I accomplished over the past week which included: Calculating the customs taxes on machinery Location analysis using the factor rating method Overall, I was reassured of the slow but steady work I have been putting into the project. I hope to finish a substantial amount over the next week to be able to send a draft by 28th February. 

 I am lucky enough to enlist the assistance of a customs clerk to give accurate costings of the machinery needed on the cornfield and agro-processing plant. The following is the worksheet formulated

 https://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/!ut/p/a1/jdBNC4JAEAbgX-PVGZOV6ubBzA8Ii0r3EhrbWuhubFv28zNvYllzm-F54WWAQgpU5I8zz_VZirx679Q5RMkESTCzcZXgDCfrwPKQRPY0dlqQ9cDaX7TAI9Yy2tmI-F8ev4z7M79hAvZAx5gfkgEY1uzASI8QKK9k0f0kc0VhTzlQxU5MMWXeVXsutb7e5gYa2DSNyaXkFTOPsjbwU6SUNw1pX8K13qbP4EKqR-y-AAhB20Q!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/gortt/wcm/connect/gortt+web+content/TTConnect/Citizen/Role/ABusinessPerson/ImportsandExports/Import+and+Export+Permits+for+Agricultural+Products+and+Equipment  Since I am calculating the machinery costs, the customs taxes and fees must be included. Based on this article on the ttconnect page, I can assume the machinery will have no duties fees. 

Due to the nationwide power outage on Wednesday, the meeting was postponed to Thursday. This was a group meeting where each person took turns speaking about their project. This setting helps me learn from others on how I can improve my own project. My peers also gave me advice on how to execute certain parts like obtaining customs tax fees on machinery etc. From this meeting, I clarified some things pertaining to my location selection.  Overall, this was a productive meeting and I will continue to work hard on this project. 

 For Corn Seeder Cost of equipment= $750USD Weight= 240kg Government/ Customs Taxes and Fees Charges USD$ TT$ OPT 151.73 1034.79 Duties 0 0 Import VAT 289.91 1977.18 VAT on Local Handling 0.09 0.63 Freight 147.58 1003.54 Fuel Surcharge 140.98 958.66 Insurance 8.00 54.56 Total 738.29 5029.36 Notably, there are no duties for agricultural equipment. 

  This is the list of machines needed to grow, harvest, and manufacture corn flour. Corn Seeder Corn Harvester Silo Corn Sheller Steam Injected Heating System Milling Machine and Sieve Packaging Machine Of course, this list may be subject to change as I continue working on the project. The next step is to calculate the shipping costs. 

  This was extracted from course material for IENG 3002, Plant Layout and Materials Handling.

  The red pins indicate possible areas to locate the agro-processing plant

 I got my Pfizer booster shot today and was unable to meet with Dr. Pemberton as I was feeling unwell. Nevertheless, I emailed her my progress and received feedback where necessary to continue working on my final year project. I got reassurance that my method for location selection is appropriate so I can proceed. 

Some key success factors I decided on are:  pH of soil Proximity to customers Ease of distribution to retail stores and groceries Proximity to skilled labour supply Proximity to suppliers Ease of transportation and communication i.e accessibility  Land and construction costs Security i.e. low crime rates Energy availability I will continue to add to this list and try to objectively use them. 

  Factor Rating Method is the method of choice for Location Planning To do so, I will: 1.      Clearly identify all the important key success factors that influence location selection. 2.      Select an appropriate scale to rate each factor. 3.      Rate each factor at the sites according to its relative importance. Here, a high rating represents a prominent factor. 4.      Find the weighted score.

These are the links to possible machinery options. I am posting them here so I can come back to them in the future.  https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Multifunctional-Commercial-Corn-Sheller-And-Thresher_1600089375629.html?spm=a2700.galleryofferlist.normal_offer.d_image.388085c7RC7PWN https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Flour-Corn-Corn-Flour-Machine-200_1600339448667.html?spm=a2700.galleryofferlist.normal_offer.d_title.704f664cmHuAIg&s=p https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/High-quality-corn-flour-mill-mini_1600268529721.html?spm=a2700.details.0.0.3ef33a9fAAPFfk