One tree yields 24 fruit bunches/year weighing

30Kg each under good management. Each bunch

has a potential of 10 litres of oil. Ten trees can give
2400 litres of oil per year and yields can be 4- 5 t
oil /ha/year.
Oil palm growing
Processing and processing
Processing can be at home or village level
depending production level.
• Fresh bunches are broken and fruit-lets
removed and washed after which they are
boiled for one hour.
• Warm fruit-lets are pounded in a mortar at (at
home) or a motorized digester at village level.
• Warm water is added to wash out the oil, and
separate fiber and seed. Te mixture is then
heated until oil floats on top.
• Floating oil is skimmed off , sieved and stored
or sold.
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
P.O. Box 57811-00200, NAIROBI.
Tel: 254-20-4183301-20, Fax: 254-20-4183344
Email: [email protected]
Palm oil utilization
Website: www. kari.org

Palm oil can be used to prepare foods at home Compiled by:

e.g. vegetables, bean, meat and fish stew, chapatis, Rachier, G.O. Orondo, S.G.O.K
rice etc. Mambiri, G., Kisuya, L. and Ochebo, R.
It can also be locally used for manufacture of soap. For more information contact:

Centre Director,
KARI-Kakamega, P.O Box 169, Kakamega, 50100
Tel:+254 56 30031, 30039, 30049, 30062, 20893
Fax: +254 56 30039
Email: [email protected]

KARI information brochure series / 64 /2008

Ksh. 20
Introduction • Preparation of planting holes Pruning
Holes should be 40 cm wide x 45 cm deep. Set a
Oil palm is an emerging crop grown for its edible side the top soil to be mixed with FYM. For fields below 5 years, prune only to remove
oil and high yields compared to other oil crops. dead leaves but for those over 5 years old, retain
The oil is rich in vitamin A and E and can be Planting procedure two leaves below the fruit bunch.
used in the manufacture of soap, candles while
leaves are used for thatching houses. • Return some soil-manure mixture to the hole
and add 300g DAP.
Agro-ecological requirements • Remove plant from bag and centrally place
seedling in the hole. Firm the soil slowly to
• Warm climate in altitudes below1000m ground level and make a 1m basin around
• High temp (22- 27°C) seedling.
• Well distributed rainfall (1000 mm p.a) with
no prolonged drought. Weed control
• Soils: loams, alluvial, peat soils which should be
well drained and slightly acidic (pH 5.5) • Ring weed around young trees.
Prunned palm tree
• Sunshine of 5.5 hours per day. • Intercrop with legume cover crops or mulch
and empty fruit bunches.
The areas include Western Kenya sugar belt and Diseases and pests
the Coastal region.
Diseases include death of central spear leaf and
Available varieties include: basal trunk rot, Pests include rodents and birds.

Hybrid Deli x Ghana, Bamenda x Avros for Harvesting and yields

Western Kenya; and
The fruit bunches are produced after the trees
Hybrid Tanzania x Avros for Coastal region. are 15 years old. The deep purple fruit-lets turn to
orange colour when ripe and a few drop to the
These hybrids are available at KARI Kakamega ground when ready.
and Mtwapa respectively.
Ring weeding
• Use a Malaysian chisel (picture) or panga for
Field establishment and maintenance harvesting the ripe bunches.
• Cut the leaf holding the fruit and then the fruit
Spacing • Add humus nitrogen to the soil before the stalk so bunch falls to the ground.
Use a triangular spacing of 7.8 m between rows trees start fruiting. • Collect fruits and process within 24 hours.
and 9 m between plants.