November 08, 2022

Maximizing the potential of fresh fruit bunches harvesting through youth training

Soy and Oil Seeds

Nigeria

Money does not grow on trees but for oil palm farmers, money indeed grows on trees. Smallholder oil palm farmers strive to improve their yield by constantly nurturing their oil palm trees. Harvesting fresh fruit bunches- the raw material for palm oil mills- is one of the vital processes, and failure to harvest properly or in time may lead to a loss in yield and income. If fruit bunches are not harvested on time, they rot on the palm and accumulate free fatty acids resulting in losses to the farmer and poor-quality cooking oil. Such bunches are also not off-taken by buyers. For this reason, farmers are constantly looking for ways to minimize losses while harvesting.

One of the key objectives of partnership between Okomu and 2SCALE is to enhance production of quality palm oil. For Okomu to meet its demand for raw materials, integrating smallholder farmers, and improving their production capacity is key. Consequentially, smallholder farmers have been provided with quality Tenera seedlings, – a hybrid oil palm variety with a high yield potential

Oil palm trees produce a large number of fresh fruit bunches. Palms grow to about 18 meters tall and each tree can produce about 10-12 FFBs yearly with each bunch weighing about 15-25kgs during the ages of 8-20 years. Proper harvesting of these fresh fruit bunches is vital in getting the best out of the farm. It also requires skilled labour to efficiently harvest without causing bruises to the fruits. The person harvesting must use proper harvesting equipment and be aware of safe harvesting techniques so as not to put themselves at risk. Training is thus essential to ensure the adoption of the best harvesting techniques by the harvesters.

Capacity building on best harvesting practices

Before harvesting, prior preparation is done in the oil palm farms to ensure safety during harvesting. Pruning is carried out so the harvester can easily identify which fresh fruit bunches are ready for harvesting. With proper pruning, it is easier and faster for the harvester to work. Industrial mills such as Okomu require ripe bunches to maximize oil extraction rate and quality. The skilled harvester uses a long knife called a sickle to harvest these fruit bunches before they are transported to the mills for processing. The harvested fresh fruit bunches must be transported to the mills within 24 hours of being harvested for better-quality of palm oil.

To maximize yields, the harvesters in Okomu were trained on the best practices for harvesting. These include the schedule for harvesting, fruit types, ripening, and transportation.

The harvester must be equipped with tools such as a wide cutting edge chisel with a 3 meter pole , a harvesting knife or harvesting sickle attached to an aluminium or wooden pole for tall palms, wheelbarrows, basins, safety boots, and hand gloves. Harvesters are expected to always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize injuries from falling fronds from the oil palm trees.

The training was held in Benin city, Nigeria on the 22nd of September 2022 with 25 participants in attendance. The training participants included youth who are harvesters, aggregators, extension officers, facilitators, and business support service (BSS) coaches.

The training has had an effect on the harvesters and now, they have the right knowledge and skills to help them properly guard themselves against injuries. They now know how and when to properly harvest ripe fresh fruit bunches.

The harvesters were also integrated into cooperatives to enable them to have access to information, inputs and funds.

Speaking with one of the participants, Mr Osas who has been harvesting fresh fruit bunches for three years now, he expressed how happy he was to be part of the training and he hopes to put all he has learned into practice by ensuring he uses the right tools and PPE. He says,

I will ensure I wear all the protective gear before going to harvest because I have sustained injuries in the past and I do not want to sustain anymore.

Mr. Pius Imafidion is one of the smallholder farmers who belongs to Uruhezen and Iguelaho multipurpose cooperative.

Being part of a cooperative increases my access to information, farm inputs and markets. There is coordination and easy networking within the oil palm value chain and it gives us a higher bargaining power compared to when we want to sell as individuals.

Getting more insights on the training, Mr Lucky Ajuebor the trainer from Okomu said,

We decided to train these harvesters because we noticed that many of them sustain injuries while working because they use the wrong tools and methods and we do not want them to continue experiencing these injuries. They need to use a chisel for palms 0-9 years old and the sickle for palms that are aged 10 years and above. The knowledge they gained and the questions they were asking showed that they were really interested and understood what they were being taught. We also went to the field to carry out practical examples of harvesting and I noticed that the youth have caught up with all they were taught.

A harvester is paid about $0.20 per bunch depending on the variety, age of palm, and the type of instrument used to harvest. In a day, a skilled harvester can harvest up to one tonne per day and thus earn about $6 each harvest day. Oil palms produce all year round, making harvesting a source of livelihood for youths with proper harvesting skills.

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