The Role of Women in Production and Marketing of Palm Oil in Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines the role of women in the production and marketing of palm oil in eastern Nigeria. It discusses the activities involved, which begin with the establishment and management of the oil palm to produce fruits, from which oil is extracted. Other activities include harvesting and processing of fruit bunches into oil. Women are known to be involved in all stages of extracting oil from the fruit which are sterilization and digestion of fruits, pressing of fiber, clarification, storage of oil and separation and cracking of nuts. In all these, women in eastern Nigeria adopt largely traditional methods which are time consuming, laborious and inefficient because of low oil extraction efficiency and poor oil quality. Women are also shown to be a force in marketing both as wholesalers and retailers. The major constraint faced by the women is lack of capital. The paper recommends that women should be encouraged to organize themselves into cooperative societies to be able to access funds to upgrade their activities and income.