Oil Palm - Elaeis Guineensis

OIL PALM (Elaeis guineensis)

Oil Palm, or scientifically called Elaeis guineensis, is native of the west coast of Africa. Pure palm oil is a rich orange-yellow color; it has a sweet taste and an agreeable odor. It is liquid in the tropics, but hardens into "palm butter" under cooler temperatures. Palm oil is used in the manufacture of soap, liniments, and ointments, and used in West African and Brazilian cooking. Its chief chemical constituent is palmitic acid. Oil is also obtained from the kernel of the palm fruit. Known as palm-kernel oil, this is a lighter oil, resembling coconut oil.

The crop flourishes in the humid tropics in groves of varying density, mainly in the coastal belt between 10 degrees north latitude and 10 degrees south latitude. It is also found up to 20 degrees south latitude in Central and East Africa and Madagascar in isolated localities with a suitable rainfall. The oil palm grows up to 9 m (30 ft) in height. It has a crown of feathery leaves that are up to 5 m (15 ft) long. The flower cluster is on a short thick spike at the base of the leaves. Flowering is followed by the development of a cluster of egg-shaped, red, orange, or yellowish fruits. Each fruit is approximately 3 cm (1 in) long and contains from one to three seeds embedded in a reddish pulp. The palm fruit develops in dense bunches weighing 10 kilograms (kg) or more and containing more than a thousand individual fruits similar in size to a small plum. Palm oil is obtained from the flesh of the fruit.

After harvesting from the trees, the fresh fruit bunch (FFB) must be transported to the mill for processing within 24-hours and palm oil is extracted from the fruit pulp. This yellowish or reddish oil is used mostly in the manufacture of soap and candles. Palm oil is also the largest source of palmitic acid, a fatty acid used in numerous commercial processes. The more valuable palm kernel oil is obtained from the seed kernels of the fruit. This white oil has a pleasant odor and nutty flavor and is used in making margarine as well as soap and candles. The kernels are shipped to mills where the oil is extracted with solvents or by hydraulic presses. After extraction, the oil cake that is left over is used as cattle feed. Latest technology also involves the possibility of using palm oil products for bio-diesel purposes.