Palm Oil Processing in Nigeria, is kinda like a big deal.
Its common to find small scale palm oil mills in most states in Nigeria, whether you come from Lagos or from the far east.
Why?
Because, Its relatively easy to setup a palm Oil Processing mill, because turning palm fruits to palm oil doesn’t require vast machines and process.
Some of you have been doing it in your kitchens for quite a while now.
Raise your hand if your a fan of Banga soup.
Now that same process you use to do Banga, is what is applied in Palm Oil Processing, but in a larger scale.
How?
Boiling
In preparing Banga, you put your palm fruits in a pot to steam or boil it.
The same process is done in most Palm Oil Processing Mills. Just that the pot size is way bigger.
The use cast iron pots, like those used in preparing party rice, if thats too small for them, then get a barrel. Works perfectly for cooking up a large batch of Palm Fruits.
Pressing
Once your done boiling the Palm fruit, its time to pound the the Banga out of it. Your tool of choice is a mortar.
For palm oil Milling, you will require a press.
Which usually comes in two options, depending on your budget.
Manual Press: This is like you mortar and requires a lot of effort and strength to squeeze the oil out of the boiled palm fruits.
Its usually manned by two people working the press wheel, while a third person feeds the palm fruit into the press.
Digester and Oil Press: This is more like your automatic juice maker, you just pour the palm fruits in one end and Palm oil and mashed Palm fruit and kernel come out the other end.
Its powered by a 5 or 6 horse power diesel engine that goes through a drum of palm fruits giving you a 200 litres drum of Palm Oil in under 25 minutes.
Once you have gotten you palm oil, its time to boil it again, because like Banga, the Palm Oil requires an extra period of boiling to remove impurities and water residue, before its ready to hit the market.
Register for the Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil Exportation Training, before its too late
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Conclusion
Setting up a Palm Oil Mill really doesn’t require so much expertise.
Except where you are planning to trun Palm oil into Cooking Oil.
But if your aim is producing Crude Palm Oil for sale to your local market, then just stick to these Palm Oil Processing Machines.
Are you milling Palm Oil right now?
Let us know the challenges you faced
I like your post and am About starting a small scale oil production and would want to know the cost of your equipment