Technological assessment of palm oil production in Osun and Ondo states of Nigeria (original) (raw)
Related papers
2014
The study identified the types of improved technologies utilised, tracked gender involvement at the various stages of oil palm fruits processing activities with a view to highlighting differences in the utilisation of these technologies among male and female processors. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 240 (120 males and 120 females) oil palm fruits processors using structured interview schedule. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Gender Mapping (GM) were used to elicit qualitative data. Data collected were summarised with the aid of descriptive statistics while t-test was used to test the hypothesis. Results showed that sterilizer, digester and hydraulic hand press were utilised by both male and female processors. Results of t-test revealed that at P ≤ 0.01, significant differences were found between male and female processors level of utilisation of oil palm processing technologies with male having a higher mean score than the female. The study concluded that gender differences exited in the level of utilisation of oil palm processing technologies among male and female processors in Ondo State, Nigeria.
Technology in Society, 2011
An assessment of palm fruit processing technologies in Abia State palm oil industry was carried out in this study. About 95% of the mills were in the small scale category with capacities in the range 0.2-3.0 t/hr. Majority (80-90%) of the mills still utilized local drums for sterilisation of fruit and clarification of oil. Palm fruit digestion and oil extraction operations have been mechanised to some extent with about 90% of the mills having one device or the other to handle the operations. Hand-operated screw press was predominant (80%) in most of the mill as a device for palm oil extraction. Fruit stripping was manually carried out. Nut/fibre separation by mechanical method is adopted by small group (40%) of the mills and 90% of the mills utilize nut cracker to crack their nuts. Most of the machines being utilized are sourced locally. Maintenance of the machines was being carried out mainly when they develop faults. More than 50% of the mills have abandoned one machine or the other with breakdown of machines being the predominant reason. Most of the mills sourced fruit by purchase or served as processing centre. The extraction rate of the mills was very low and was in the range of 7-13%. Cost of production was very high when compared with other West African palm oil producing countries. Introduction of a large scale mill utilising modern technology (and centralised processing system) in form of Public Private Partnership is being proposed. Such system will have to be backed up a palm oil act as well as adequate mobilization of the farmers in order to facilitate the adoption of the system by farmers. A modern mill of 5 t/hr capacity is being planned to serve a group of farmers in a catchment area as a model. This system will make available prompt returns to the farmers to strengthen their palm fruit production capacity and guarantee high quality oil that can be exported.
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Science, 2020
This study was carried out in Imo State to examine the perceived problems of oil palm production. A total of 124 processors or millers were selected randomly and given questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using percentage, mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that the problems facing oil palm production include lack of adequate land space, inadequate storage facilities which results in low production of oil palm, inadequate finance. While its prospects include that the cultivation of oil palm is an inevitable means of shifting the nation's dependence on oil and a means of discouraging urban drift. It was recommended that governments at all levels should provide loans specifically to oil palm producers, cooperative societies should also be encouraged to ensure easy milling of oil palm, adequate market information be given to millers for profitable income and land tenure reform be taken to ease land problems.
Innovative Systems Design and Engineering, 2013
Productivity of any agricultural produce such as oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) can be enhanced using mechanical means for the removal of drudgery from the entire production processes. This study investigates the level of mechanization in the production and processing of oil palm in Oyo and Osun States so as to determine the research needs towards the development of appropriate machines for this purpose. Questionnaires were administered and on-the-field assessments were made to obtain the necessary information. The data collected were analyzed with descriptive statistical tools. Eight selected local government areas where oil palm production was adjudged to be popular were visited. The study revealed that pre-planting, planting and post planting operations involving crop protection, weeding and fertilizer application receive low mechanization. Harvesting was carried out completely by manual operations. Threshing of fruits was semi-mechanized. Palm oil extraction processes had approximately 30% of mechanization which was obtained from few palm oil mills. Kernel cracking and palm kernel oil extraction had 50% level of mechanization. The study concluded that the level of oil palm mechanization in Oyo and Osun States was very low especially the pre-planting, planting and harvesting operations and Agricultural Engineers should be encouraged and rise up to the challenges of providing the required machinery.
Palm oil is a major food and non-food ingredient consumed by virtually everyone in Nigeria through the use of palm oil related products. This study investigates the feasibility of small-scale palm oil processing in Nigeria, using Elele, Rivers State as case study. Information was elicited through interviews and physical observations. Manual processing and screw hand press methods were adopted for palm oil extraction from fresh fruit bunch. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mode, frequencies and corresponding percentages and gross margin model) and profitability techniques (i.e Gross ratio, Expense Structure Ratio, rate of return and Benefit-Cost Ratio). The findings show that the average cost of procuring equipment and its installations for a small-scale palm oil processing mill were estimated at N623,650.00. The gross margin return from this study was N44,000.00 while net return was N14,000.00. The gross ratio reveales that for every N1.00 return to the mill 68.00 kobo was spent on the production processes. The small-scale palm oil venture is dominated by elderly people from 50 years and above (30%). About 34% and 32% of the processors have WASC and Primary School Leaving Certificates respectively as the educational qualification. About 50% of the processors have 16-20 years experience in oil palm processing. The study concludes that small-scale oil palm processing is profitable and can also be a source of employment.
Contribution of manual energy to palm oil processing by smallholders in Nigeria
2014
Energy is used in any production process in the form of heat, electrical, mechanical and human energy. Human energy is often overlooked in the computation of energy requirements of production activity. This study evaluated the contribution of manual energy to palm oil processing by smallholder processors in Nigeria using data obtained mainly from literature sources. The study found that 1.2709 MJ of manual energy is needed for the processing of one tonne of fresh fruit bunch. The results also showed that the contribution of manual energy is significantly lower than the contributions of energy from biomass and liquid fuel given in the literature. Of the total manual energy expended, women accounted for 32% and was restricted to two operations (sieving and nut and fiber separation) and the remaining 68% was input by men and involved five operations (bunch reception, bunch slicing, threshing, pressing and fiber repressing).
The study investigated and compared the Technical Efficiency and profit differentials in palm oil processing between processors in Nigeria and Benin Republic. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 170 processors from palm oil processing communities in Ohaji/Egbema LGA, Nigeria (90) and Pobe LGA, Benin (80). Data were collected through the aid of a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive, budgetary and inferential statistics. Budgetary technique was used to estimate the economic returns to processing while the Stochastic Production Frontier method was used to determine the TE as well as the sources of Technical Inefficiency (TI) in palm oil processing. Student’s t-test of difference of two means was also used to determine significant differences in processing parameters. The results revealed that palm oil processing is profitable in both areas of study. Profitability level was higher among the sampled processors in Nigeria than those in Benin. Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) accounted for over 70% of the total cost of production. An average of 49FFB t/month was processed in Nigeria and 18t/month in Benin. The Nigerian processors produced palm oil of 10,015.6 l/month while the Beninese produced 2,887.6l. Hydraulic extraction technique was exceptionally used in Nigeria. The mean efficiency levels of 97 % and 89 % were observed for the Nigerian and Beninese' processors respectively. Gender differences and use of mechanical processing technique were associated with observed variations in the technical efficiency among Nigerian Processors while education and access to formal credit influenced technical efficiency of the Beninese. As large as49% of the Beninese respondents procured loans from micro-finance institutions. The study recommends that policies and programs aimed at promoting the supply of FFB and institutional credit availability to the processors might be powerful tools for raising profitability and enhancing technical efficiency. Also, the use of hydraulic extraction technology should be promoted as it is associated with increased advantage of scale of production and expands the processors’ production frontier. Keywords: Palm oil processing, stochastic production function, Technical efficiency, profitability, Benin Republic, Nigeria
2012
Ghana produces about 2,000,000 metric tons of oil palm fruits annually, and small-scale processors contribute about 60% of crude palm oil production. The country is not self-sufficient in the fats and oils needed for industrial use and home consumption. A large percentage of the palm oil produced by smallscale processors cannot be utilized by the larger scale industries in Ghana or abroad because of its poor quality. There is an urgent need to explore the causes and to identify ways to address the situation. We carried out a diagnostic study in the Kwaebibirem District using key informant interviews, focus group discussions and surveys based on a semi-structured questionnaire to assess the processing practices of small-scale oil palm fruit processors, and to analyse the rationale behind these practices and their effects on the quality of palm oil produced. The processing practices identified included storage of loosened fruits for long periods before boiling, disposal of effluent into drains, use of spent tyres for boiling fruits and no clarification of the oil. About 54% of the processors store oil palm fruits for 1-3 weeks before processing, possibly allowing some fermentation, to increase extractability and reduce labour costs. This practice may reduce the quality of palm oil by increasing the levels of free fatty acids. The effects of the storage period on the quality and quantity of palm oil, the seasonal oil content of oil palm fruits, and the types of linkages and interactions amongst actors in the oil palm industry were identified together with stakeholders as issues for further research. Innovation in small-scale oil palm fruit processing is revealed as a multi-stakeholder, multiple-scale, and interdisciplinary process.
Journal of environmental treatment techniques, 2015
Oil palm processing is a source of livelihood to many rural families in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. About 80% palm oil processors are smallholders who basically employ manual equipment for processing. In this study, the processes of crude palm oil (CPO) production from fresh fruit bunch were compared between semi-mechanized and traditional processors in Niger Delta Nigeria. The study found that both approaches share the same processing steps like bunch reception, fermentation before threshing, sieving and digestion whereas steps like slicing, fermentation of PPF were typical of only traditional approach. Oil drying was peculiar to only semi-mechanized mill. Though, both methods of processing result to low quality CPO, but semimechanized quality is slightly better. The processing duration was shorter in semi-mechanized as compared to traditional approach. The quality of CPO produced by both approaches could be a challenge during transesterification process in biodiesel production.