PALM OIL PROCESSING METHODS

THE TRADITIONAL METHOD
This is the method employed by peasant women and small processors using mortars
In Nigeria, as in most other West African countries, red palm oil has always been processed by women using the traditional primitive rural technique of cooking the palm fruits in a pot and pounding the cooked fruits in a wooden mortar or mashing it using a vessel that resembles a canoe. The mash is then squeezed either by hand or any other method which will squeeze the oil out of the mash.
This method yields about 5% of the oil in the mesocarp, compared with about 18 to 25% achieved by other more sophisticated methods.
With this method you are not able to process a lot of palm fruits. Your processig capacity is greatly limited.

INDUSTRIAL SCALE PROCESSING(ISPE)

These are processing equipment of capacity greater than 5 metric tons per hour
The coming of the more sophisticated processing technologies has resulted in the higher and more effective yields of about 18% to 25%. Thus the wastage attendant to the traditional primitive methods has brought more income into the pockets of the farmers who have adopted these more sophisticated methods.
The Industrial scale processing methods can process from about 5 metric tonnes of fresh fruit bunches an hour compared to the very negligible throughput of the traditional methods but this method is capital intensive and beyond the reach of the peasant farmers. Also, the wild palm groves which are the sources of fruit for the peasant farmers cannot provide enough fresh fruit bunches for these types of installations.
In addition this class of processing equipment requires sophisticated infrastructure.
Due to the harsh operation's environment and insufficiency of fresh fruit bunches in the dry season these large scale facilities often prove ineffective in the West African setting.
With Industrial Scale Processing equipment you can process more than 5 metric tonnes of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs up to 120 metric tonnes of FFB per hour

SMALL SCALE PROCESSING EQUIPMENT(SSPE)
These are processing plants of capacity between 0.5 to 4.5 metric tonnes per hour
As a result of the cumbersome nature and highly sophisticated technology involved in the use of Industrial Scale Processing equipment, local fabricators have produces smaller scale processing systems that are easier to manage and operate, and are within the reach of some local entrepreneurs. Many such processing plants have sprung up all over the eastern states of Nigeria and are helping to encourage the establishment of larger cultivation of palm plots and small plantations with higher yielding varieties of palm trees.
Recently a company based in the UK has developed Small Scale Processing equipment which seems to be more appropriate to the Nigerian and West African environment.

THE ADVENT OF THE SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE INVESTORS INTO THE MARKET
Investment into Industrial scale processing might run into tens of millions of US dollars
As the Small Scale Processing type of equipment gains acceptance it is expected that more small scale entrepreneurs will be willing to invest into the palm oil processing business. This may also encourage other entrepreneurs to venture into the downstream sector of refining and oleo chemicals. This will greatly boost the economic development of the region and help to reduce poverty and unemployment in the region.
The other downstream industries which can be established include bio diesel refineries, pharmaceutical industries, cosmetics industries, plastics industries, body care products industries to mention a few.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INVESTMENT IN SMALL SCALE PALM OIL INDUSTRIES

Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs)could be the technology driver in Nigeria. The Federal, state and local governments should put in place policies which will encourage entrepreneurs to invest in the Palm Oil Industry particularly in the downstream sector of production of crude palm oil. Investments in refineries, oleo chemical industries, pharmaceutical industries, plastic industries would boost technological progress and economic development.
The Federal government has created the Small and Medium Industries Development Agency of Nigeria (SMIDAN) to encourage the commercial banks to set apart 10% of their profits before tax as funds for equity participation in Small and Medium Industries in partnership with entrepreneurs who have worthy projects. This could be the vehicle for jump starting development of the suggested palm oil based industries.
Palm trees and palm oil are renewable resources while crude petroleum is not. So the future belongs to this sector. href="http://palmoilprocessingmethods.blogspot.com">