Introduction
Oil palm is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees, the scientific name is Elaeis guineensis. Two types of oil can be produced; crude palm oil comes from squeezing the fleshy fruit, and palm kernel oil which comes from crushing the kernel, or the stone in the middle of the fruit. a large oblong or roundish fruit with a hard green or white rind often striped or variegated, a sweet watery pink, yellowish, or red pulp, and usually many seeds. Palm oil is used for preventing vitamin A deficiency, cancer, brain disease, aging; and treating malaria, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cyanide poisoning. Palm oil is used for weight loss and increasing the body’s metabolism.
Uses
Oil palm is a key ingredient in making:
- Cosmetic
- Candle
- Bio fuel
Production, export, import and consumption in Nigeria
Production = 9,456,555 Import = 256,017 Export = 70,870. (Source: FAOSTAT & WITF (World Bank)2021
Consumption= 9,641,702
Growing Oil palm tree
An oil palm begins to produce 3 or 4 years after it has been planted. During that time the grower must spend money and work hard, without harvesting any fruit or earning any money. To make a modern oil palm plantation takes money. The most suitable soil texture for oil palm plantation is sandy clay and silty clay. This type of soil texture is poorly drain thus can help to maintain the soil around oil palm trees to be in a moist environment. This soil texture also can store sufficient water and plant nutrients.
Sowing and harvest period
The young oil palms grow there for a period of about 1 year before they are transplanted into the field. After 3 years of growth, fruit harvesting starts and continues for almost 30 years. By this time, the palm has reached a height of about 15 meters, too tall to be harvested manually.
Main Producing States in Nigeria.
- Enugu
- Imo
- Ondo
- Edo
- Cross River
- Delta
- Akwa Ibom
- Ekiti
- Bayelsa
- Rivers
- Anambra
- Oyo
- Abia
- Edo
- Ogun
Relevant Agencies in Nigeria.
- Oil Palm Growers’ Association of Nigeria (OPGAN)
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