INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE AND GRADING OF FRESH FOOD BRUNCHES ON OIL CONTENT AND OIL EXTRACTION RATIO IN OIL PALM

Abstract

Cultivation of oil palm in India was started during the late 1980s under Government’s initiative and the state of Andhra Pradesh has the largest hectarage cultivated with oil palm. So far, in India, an area of 0.372 million hectare is under oil palm and it is cultivated mostly as a smallholders’ crop. Variations in oil extraction ratio (OER) at palm oil mills are often observed with seasons and grading standards. This study was undertaken to understand the effect of temperature and grading on oil content and OER. The study revealed that temperature had a negative correlation with OER and oil to bunch percentage. Fruit grading plays an important role in improving OER through enhanced oil to bunch percentage. Keywords: Oil palm, oil extraction ratio, oil to bunch percentage, temperature, grading