Proper oil palm harvesting is a very important activity in oil palm management and increases farm profits. Through proper oil palm harvesting oil palm yields can be greatly improved.
Furthermore, through timely and proper oil palm harvesting increases yield and generates more income therefore during peak seasons harvest every 10 days and every 14 days during lean seasons. While harvesting always ensure to only harvest palms that meet industrial standards to maximize oil extraction rate and oil quality.
Formation
Usually, each palm produces both male and female flowers, the males produce pollen to fertilize the female flowers, these form fruits after fertilization. Normally, rain, sunshine, proper crop and field management influence the growth of palm flowers.
Proper harvesting
Start by creating an easy accessibility to palm sites by constructing roads access to facilitate palm transportation. Additionally, ensure proper tree pruning to easily identify and harvest ready bunches as well as using proper harvesting tools to facilitate easy and faster harvesting process at minimal costs. Furthermore, use wheelbarrows to transport harvested fruits and collect all lose fallen fruits and lastly, harvest from the right direction to avoid fronds from falling on the harvester.
After harvesting practices
Start by chopping fronds into 2 pieces and place them around the tree in a box pattern , thereafter collect all lose fruits since they contain more oil compared to bunches. Lastly, record oil palm harvested yields before transportation to market centres to help farmers monitor the yield.
Harvesting materials
Workers must wear protective equipments. Among the harvesting tools required include, harvesting chisel with 10 cm wide cutting edge, chisel, sickle, aluminium pole, sharpening stone, wheelbarrow, cutlers. Sickle, aluminium pole, sharper, wheelbarrow, cutlers, gloves, gumboots and helmet to minimize injuries from falling bunches and thorny fronds.
