VARIOUS: THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN INDUSTRY OF PALM OIL PROCESSING IS UNDER THREAT FROM EFFICIENT MALAYSIAN IMPORTS
Record ID:
344738
VARIOUS: THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN INDUSTRY OF PALM OIL PROCESSING IS UNDER THREAT FROM EFFICIENT MALAYSIAN IMPORTS
- Title: VARIOUS: THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN INDUSTRY OF PALM OIL PROCESSING IS UNDER THREAT FROM EFFICIENT MALAYSIAN IMPORTS
- Date: 3rd April 2000
- Summary: VARIOUS IN AND AROUND THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO AND KENYA (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MAN PICKING FRUITS FROM WHICH PALM OIL IS EXTRACTED 2. MAN CLIMBING UP PALMTREE 3. WIDE OF PALMTREES 4. VARIOUS OF PALM OIL BEING FILTERED 5. KENYAN BUSINESSMAN VIMAL SHAH IN HIS FACTORY 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VIMAL SHAH "Tremendous - all this research done currently in the world now suggests very, very good nutritious properties for palm oil. Its cholesterol free, very healthy, very high in monounsaturates which are very healthy for your body." 7. VARIOUS OF PALM OIL BEING PROCESSED 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VIMAL SHAH "The oil palm oil tree is an economic power. It has a lot of power in it because it can give you money. I think all this political warfare has actually stopped the expansion of oil palm plantations. Whereas Malaysia, Indonesia are currently running short of land where they can plan." 9. PALMTREES 10. MAP INDICATING PRODUCERS AND EXPORTERS OF PALM OIL 11. CARGOSHIP/PORT 12. VARIOUS OF PALMTREES 13. FARMER PLACIDE ASSOUMANI AND HIS CHILDREN HARVESTING FRUITS 14. ASSOUMANI SELLING FRUITS 15. (SOUNDBITE) (French with English Translation) FLORENT LOTIAKOSSE "These palm plantations belong to one farmer only. He has between 10 and 20 trees, they produce a little bit of oil. But this cannot be enough for the whole country." 16. ASSOUMANI HARVESTING FRUITS 17. (SOUNDBITE) (French with English Translation) ASSOUMANI "When the black fruits turn red, it is time to cut the bunch and take the fruit from it." 18. VARIOUS OF FRUITS BEING PROCESSED / BOILED IN WATER 19. WOMEN CARRYING CANISTERS OF PALM OIL ON THEIR HEADS 20. DESERTED PLANTATION 21. (SOUNDBITE) (French with English Translation) ASSOUMANI "30 kilometres away from here, my brother in law and I have a hectare of palm tree plantations. But we can't take care of it." 22. LOCAL TRADESMEN TRAVELING ON CONGO RIVER 23. TRADESMEN SELLING PALM OIL AT LOCAL MARKET 24. YOUNG PEOPLE WORKING AT DIAMOND MINES 25. (SOUNDBITE) (French with English Translation) FLORENT LOATIAKOSS "I don't see why the young people should sacrifice themselves, climbing up the trees every morning and night. It is a risky business, to earn very little at the end of the day if they work at the diamonds mines, when they find a stone, they can get 1000 dollars right away." 26. ASSOUMANI INSPECTING HIS PALMTREES 27. (SOUNDBITE) (French with English Translation) FLORENT LOATIAKOSS "We need more means, the government should put more means in the agricultural sector to help us climb the slope." 28. EXTERIOR OF FACTORY PRODUCING PALM OIL 29. VARIOUS OF CONTAINERS OF PALM OIL 30. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VIMAL SHAH "I believe that Africa's got to get its act together and plant oil palm trees all over.We have the basic ingredients we have the sun, we have the water, we have the land and of course we have the people." 31. PALM OIL BEING PROCESSED 32. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VIMAL SHAH "It is the basic element for a lot of cooking fats, shortenings, liquid oils, soaps - a lot of all your chemicals now, all your cosmetics. A lot of ingredients come from crude palm oil." 33. PALM OIL BEING TRANSPORTED ON TRUCK Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 18th April 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN AND AROUND THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO AND KENYA
- City:
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Reuters ID: LVAEKWSPZMK619DJ9U5FXJOBYEZK
- Story Text: Palm oil is a traditional product of Africa. It has
been produced on the continent for more than 5000 years. The
growing star on international markets since the 1960s, palm
oil could be an important source of revenue for millions of
Africans. But, the continent is not harvesting any of its
profits...
Fruits of paradise....To collect them from where
they hang 20 metres above the ground takes some acrobatic
skills.
In Kisangani, in the north of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, this man regularly climbs all the way to the top
of the tree to pick the fruits.
Palm oil has been produced on the continent for more
than 5000 years and could today be an important source of
revenue for millions of people in Africa.
Kenyan businessman Vimal Shah says palm oil is one of
his passions: "Tremendous - all this research done currently
in the world now suggests very, very good nutritious
properties for palm oil. It's cholesterol free, very
healthy, very high in monounsaturates which are very healthy
for your body."
Since the early 60s, palm oil has been a growing star
on international markets.
Used as oil for cooking and a base for a variety of
soaps and cosmetics, it has slowly been eating up market
share...and the trend is continuing.
But Africa is not harvesting any of the profits.
Shah says "The oil palm oil tree is an economic power.
It has a lot of power in it because it can give you money. I
think all this political warfare has actually stopped the
expansion of oil palm plantations. Malaysia, Indonesia are
currently running short of land where they can plan."
Until the 19th century, this type of palm tree was
unique to Africa.
Fascinated by the beauty of the tree, English settlers
planted it in Malaysia.
Today, this southeast Asian country is the world's top
producer and exporter of palm oil.
Annual sales of the product make up as much as 10 per
cent of the country's GDP.
At the same time, Africa has become the prime
importer of the thick, red oil.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a good
example of what has gone wrong.
The former Zaire has a high agricultural potential
for the red oil, but it hasn't taken advantage of it.
Placide Assoumani lives with his wife and seven
children in the countryside around Kisangani.
His 20 palm trees make enough oil to provide what the
family needs and he also earns a little bit of money by
selling it.
Agricultural engineer Florent Lotiakosse says "These
palm plantations belong to one farmer only. He has
between 10 and 20 trees, they produce a little bit of oil.
But this cannot be enough for the whole country."
Traditional farming methods are very basic and
harvesting the fruit is easy.
The fruit is boiled in a simple cask on an open fire
and then taken to the factory.
It's nothing more than a hand press and the final
product is not purely refined. But the local people don't
seem to mind.
Impassable roads, a lack of equipment and foreign
currency make trading in palm oil very difficult.
As a result, a lot of plantations have been deserted.
Farmer Placide Assoumani says "30 kilometres away
from here, my brother in law and I have a hectare of palm
tree plantations. But we can't take care of it."
For the people living around Kisangani, the civil war
has had a devastating impact.
The traditional link to the markets of the capital on
the Congo River have been completely cut off.
So the people are selling their production to their
neighbours or at the local market.
In the plantations, the workforce is getting scarce.
Young people who usually work on the plantations are looking
for other, more lucrative activities.
Florent Loatiakoss says "I don't see why the young
people should sacrifice themselves, climbing up the trees
every morning and night. It is a risky business, to earn
very little at the end of the day if they work at the
diamonds mines, when they find a stone, they can get 1000
dollars right away."
There's no doubt that the country's agricultural
sector is facing a crisis. But nothing can be done about it
until peace is restored.
Loatiakoss says "We need more means, the government
should put more means in the agricultural sector to help us
climb the slope."
In Kenya, Vimal's company is dedicated to the
transformation of palm oil, which he imports from Malaysia.
He says "I believe that Africa's got to get its act
together and plant oil palm trees all over.We have the basic
ingredients, we have the sun, we have the water, we have
the land and of course we have the people."
Shah would like to stop using expensive and imported
Malaysian oil.... His idea - use Africa's own indigenous
palms to make high value, high quality African palm oil: "It
is the basic element for a lot of cooking fats,
shortenings, liquid oils, soaps - a lot of all your
chemicals now, all your cosmetics. A lot of ingredients come
from crude palm oil", he says.
For the time being, people on the continent will go
on using palm oil which is produced in Malaysia
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