Nigeria is among the highest palm oil producing countries in West Africa. Palm oil is very important to the citizens of this country as they make use of it in various ways. Palm oil is used in the preparation of soups and other delicacies in the country. It acts as a source of revenue or income to the farmers and the nation at large. Palm oil is sold within the country and also exported to other countries. In Nigeria, the states known mainly for palm oil production are; Anambra, Delta, Imo, Ondo, Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
How is palm oil produced locally in Nigeria? I’m from one of the palm oil producing states in Nigeria and I will not fail to let you know that local production of palm oil is very interesting. Despite the invention of several technological machines and equipments targeted towards hastening palm oil production steps, a lot of rural dwellers still makes use of the traditional ways. Some of them believes that it saves their money required for processing it, their locally produced palm oil is “sweeter” than the machine processed ones. A good number of others succumb to the old way because of the unavailability of the processing machine around them.
The major steps involved in the production/processing of palm oil locally are; cutting down of the palm fruit bunches from the palm tree and bringing it home, threshing of the palm fruit bunches to free the palm fruit, sorting of the palm fruit, boiling of the palm fruit, pounding of the palm fruit and other final stages of palm oil production.
How Palm Oil is Produced Locally in Nigeria
1. Cutting down of the palm fruit bunches from the palm tree
In the part of the palm oil producing state that I come from in Nigeria, almost every family have their own palm tree plantation. Once the Palm fruit bunches is due for harvest (this can be observed when the color of the palm fruit bunches becomes red), a palm fruit cutter will harvest it by climbing the palm tree and cutting it down with his knife. After this, the palm fruit bunches will be collected together, dismembered palm fruits picked and packed together and transported home.
2. Threshing of the palm fruit bunches to free the palm fruits
The threshing of the palm fruit bunches to free the palm fruit is usually done with the aid of a cutlass or an axe. All the palm fruit bunches are carefully threshed in order to avoid damaging the palm fruits before further processing.
3. Sorting of the Palm fruits
After the palm fruit bunches have been threshed, further sorting is required to free the palm fruit from any form of unwanted materials. Most times, the remaining part of the palm fruit bunches can pose a danger to the processor if not well sorted.
4. Boiling of the Palm fruit
The palm fruit is being put in a big pot and placed in an open fire. Wood is the main source of the fire source for boiling it in my area. The required amount of water is poured into the palm oil fruit in the big pot on fire and covered. The boiling of the palm fruit usually takes about 30-60 minutes and it is dependent on when the husk gets tender. Note that the well ripened palm oil fruits takes a little time to get ready during boiling.
5. Pounding of the Palm fruit
After the palm fruit is properly boiled, the pot is brought down from the fire. A large sieve is used to scoop the palm fruit inside the big mortar. This stage is done gradually during the pounding process. All the palm fruits are gradually transferred into the mortar and with the use of a pestle, properly pounded until the husk comes out from the kernel. In some areas, one person can do the pounding at once while in other areas two or three people can use sizeable pestles to pound at once.
6. Sorting of the husk from the palm kernel
The entire contents in the mortar is scooped inside a large pan. This is followed by the separation of the husk from the palm kernel. The palm kernel is put inside a basin and rinsed with water.
7. Mixing of the husk with palm fruit juice
After the separation of the husk from the palm kernel, the palm kernel is being put in a big basin. The right amount of water is poured inside the basin with the palm kernel. Further mixing will bring the palm fruit juice in the upper layer. This will be gently scooped inside a pot and boiled. The boiled palm fruit juice is then properly mixed with the husk.
8. Squeezing of the Palm Oil from the Husk
The husk is now transferred into a sizeable used bag of rice bag or any other matted grain bag with openings. It is tied tightly and placed on a wooden surface, a wood is used to press the bag forcing the oil to come out from the openings in the bag. In most recent times, a manual machine known as presser is used to press the oil out from the bag. The pressed out oil is put in a pot and gently boiled. The palm oil is ready and can be stored in cans.
This is a tedious process you may think? But the people who are acquainted with these process can use it to produce hundreds of litres of oil. Though this method is still in use in some parts of the country, we cannot underrate the use of modern palm oil processing machine as it is less time consuming. I hope you find our article “How to produce palm oil locally in Nigeria helpful. Stay in touch for more exciting updates.
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