How is it produced?
Oil palms begin to produce fruit three years after planting, have a commercial life of about 25 years but a biological life of at least 60 years.
The fruit grows in tight bunches known as fresh fruit bunches (FFB) which are harvested manually throughout the year.
Crude palm oil, which is produced in mills on or near the plantations, is derived from the fleshy mesocarp which surrounds a nut. Palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel inside that nut.
The mills steam and press the fruit and clarify the resulting crude oil (CPO).
Mill capacities are denominated in weight of FFB processed each hour (e.g. 30mt/hr).
Oil is refined and fractionated into its components normally at outside refineries; kernels are either crushed on-site or at outside processors to produce palm kernel oil and palm kernel meal.
