Palm oil is an incredibly diverse ingredient that is found in a variety of products from shampoo to toothpaste, to cakes and biofuel. But how is palm oil created?

The productivity and effectiveness of the palm tree all starts with the seed and many industry players develop their own seeds. Developing your own seeds can have an array of benefits such as higher yields, better pest resistance and even increased productivity.

The seeds are then planted in our nursery and tenderly cared for. After roughly a year, the seedlings are strong enough to be transferred to the plantation and planted. The tree will start being productive after 2-3 years once they have grown enough and will continue to bear fruit on average for 25 years.

Oil palms can be harvested throughout the year; however, they also need daily care and treatment to ensure they grow healthy, productive, and natural. At Bumitama, we use natural pest control such as Barn Owls and non-toxic pesticides to keep the trees and the environment healthy. The tree creates fruit that grows in dense bunches called Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB).

The Proccess

The FFB is then harvested and then transported to the mill. At the mill, the FFB is split into its products:

• The CPO, the orange flesh part is generally used for edible purposes, such as cooking oil or in food formulations.
• The kernel in the middle, which is crushed to make Palm Kernel Oil. This oil is generally used for non-edible purposes such as in soaps, detergents and cosmetics.
• The leftover pulp which is used as palm kernel cake can be used in the animal feed industry as it is high in energy, fibre, and retains a good level of residual oil.
• The CPO, the orange flesh part is generally used for edible purposes, such as cooking oil or in food formulations.

1. The CPO, the orange flesh part is generally used for edible purposes, such as cooking oil or in food formolations.
2. The kernel in the middle, which is crushed to make Palm Kernel Oil. This oil is generally used for non-edible purposes such as in soaps, detergents and cosmetics.
3. The leftover pulp which is used as palm kernel cake can be used in the animal feed industry as it is high in energy, fibre, and retains a good level of residual oil.
4. The CPO, the orange flesh part is generally used for edible purposes, such as cooking oil or in food formulations.