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Oil Palm

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is a highly valuable monocotyledonous plant known for its extensive uses and economic significance in tropical regions. It provides a variety of products, from vegetable oil to construction materials, and supports local economies by creating employment and improving livelihoods. Additionally, oil palm plays a crucial role in cultural traditions and ceremonies, symbolizing victory and community bonding.

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Chukwuebuka Wisdom
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18 views2 pages

Oil Palm

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is a highly valuable monocotyledonous plant known for its extensive uses and economic significance in tropical regions. It provides a variety of products, from vegetable oil to construction materials, and supports local economies by creating employment and improving livelihoods. Additionally, oil palm plays a crucial role in cultural traditions and ceremonies, symbolizing victory and community bonding.

Uploaded by

Chukwuebuka Wisdom
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is a

monocotyledonous plant belonging to the palm family Arecaceae.

palm is, no doubt, the richest tree on earth in terms

of natural endowments. It is one of the best trees

given by God to man in the tropics for his survival

and for all his vegetable oil and related needs. It

has been described as the ‘tree of life’ not only

because every part of the tree is useful to man but

also because it lives and flourishes for many years.

At present, oil palm produces the highest yield

(output per land area) of vegetable oil of all known

oil crops.

As a multipurpose tree, oil palm has a high socio-

economic value as virtually every part of the tree

can be put into a gainful use. In view of the different

uses of parts of the tree, the oil palm industry offers

employment to many citizens helping to reduce unemployment. By serving as a

source of revenue for many families in rural areas and communities, oil palm improves the state of a
community and general livelihood. For instance,

the trunk is useful for building traditional houses

and farm settlements. Palm trunk is also used as

local culverts and as wedge against soil erosion.

Palm fronds are used in yam staking and as a cheap

material to construct well-aerated yam barns, erect

make-shift canopies during ceremonies, and make

thatched fences round residential premises. Also,


palm fronds are fed as fodder to sheep and goats.

The veins of the tree are used in making brooms

and its fibre is woven into baskets, fish traps and

climbing ropes. Notably, oil palms are tapped to

get palm wine, a highly-valued natural beverage.

Palm wine has economic value as its tapping and

marketing is a source of income to many rural

households.

In terms of significance , the palm fronds give strong belief that keeps tradition alive in ceremonies and
festivals. The ceremonies and festivals have strong community binding and add real value to the people.

The leaf of a palm tree, palm frond-ome when carried, is a symbol of victory or triumph as a token of
rejoicing in ceremonies and festivals.

The palm fronds in ceremonies and festivals are used to decorate streets, shrines and places to adorn
sacred tress of divine worship. The palm fronds emit odours that repels evils, hence the foliage is used in
masquerades. The wide spread masquerades and best known is the wooden face masks called Ekpo and
Ewuwu. They protect people from spiritual disease. At an annual festival or whenever an epidemic
threatens, men of middle age, the youths, don masks dressed in traditional palm fronds representing a
wide range of characters and deities with beautiful faces.

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