Palm oil is processed from fresh fruits using various techniques that differ in the level of mechanization and interconnecting material transfer mechanisms. The scale of operations also differs at the level of processing. Palm oil processing in Ghana (like other West African countries) is undertaken by four (4) distinct groups of actors [ 10 ].
Who produces the most palm oil in Ghana?
Artisanal and small-scale palm oil producers occupy a greater share of Ghana’s palm oil processing industry, producing 60–80% of the country’s palm oil. However, the processing systems used by the palm oil producers are mainly the traditional metal cooking pots and steel tanks.
What are the different types of palm oil processing plant?
The new type palm oil processing plant includes palm fruit reception machine, sterilizing machine, threshing machine, digesting machine, pressing machine, crude palm oil clarification machine, palm oil storage equipment , palm kernel recovery equitpment etc. The combination of these machines can effectively extract palm oil from palm fruit.
Why is palm oil important in Ghana?
Palm oil is the most important edible oil in Ghana and in the West Africa region. Palm oil and palm kernel represented 2% of total agricultural production value of Ghana in 2010 [ 2 ]. The processing of oil palm is a major source of income and employment to many women in the rural areas of the forest agroecological zone [ 3 ].
How many small-scale palm oil processing mills are there in Ghana?
Twenty-five (25) small-scale processing mills were selected from four (4) palm oil processing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) namely Cape Coast Metropolitan Area (CCMA), Abura Aseibu Kwamankese District (AAKD), Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District (THLDD) and Mfantseman Municipality (MfM) all in the Central region of Ghana.
Where does Ghana import palm oil?
Countries from where Ghana imports palm oil are mainly Malaysia, Indonesia, Cote d’lvoire, Liberia, Singapore and Togo [ 9 ]. On the other hand, exports for 2019 was significantly lower with only 15,392 MT with a trade value of US$ 11.1million, about one-fifth of the import value.