Palm oil plants
Palm Olin (locally we call palm oil) is a low cost edible oil. It is very suitable for human consumption from health point of view. Its yield per hector is much higher than all other known vegetables edible oils. The palm tree originated from the African continent. But at present Malaysia and Indonesia produce the largest quantity of palm oil systematically and export it to different countries. Developed high yield variety of plants when cultivated in a scientific way, discovered by research and development, has produced even a few tons of oil from a hector of land in a year in Malaysia. It has been proved that palm oil tree plantation is suitable for Bangladesh soil and climate. In the last decade Bangladesh imported more than one million tonnes of palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia annually and the quantity is increasing with increase in per capita income over here. We have been consuming palm oil in the name of soybean oil as the traders sell palm oil as soybean oil. We know that palm oil is suitable for health and it also increases taste of food items.
In costal areas a massive palm oil tree plantation is very much needed to lessen the devastating effect of natural calamity owing to global warming. The job seekers who went to Malaysia and worked in palm oil gardens have practical experience in palm oil tree gardening. They would be an advantage for massive plantation of palm oil trees in our country. They can be engaged for palm oil tree plantation, especially in costal areas. The devastating impact of storms that affect the costal areas as a result of climate change could be reduced to a great extent with massive palm oil tree plantation. Bangladesh can also take technical help from friendly countries like Malaysia and Indonesia for massive palm oil tree plantation.
As it is a labour intensive work, such plantation would lead to generation of employment for the poor people.
The agriculture extension department and the forest department may be assigned to take separate projects for palm oil plant cultivation in Bangladesh. The business of extraction of oil from palm fruits can be assigned to private sector entrepreneurs.
If all these measures are adopted it is expected that within a decade Bangladesh will become self -reliant in edible oil.
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