Palm kernel
Encyclopedia
Many plants and trees like olive, soybean, canola, sunflower and coconut palm produce one type of oil. The fruits of the oil palm
tree, however, yields two distinct oils - palm oil
and palm kernel oil
.
Palm kernel cake are the leftovers after kernel oil is pressed out from the nut in the palm fruit. Palm kernel cake is commonly used as animal feed for dairy cattle because of its high protein content. If not, it is usually treated as biomass to fuel up boilers to generate electricity for use at palm oil mills and surrounding villages.
Palm kernel cake, by itself, is a medium grade protein feed and with its high fibre content is often thought of being more suitable for feeding of ruminant
s. Palm kernel cake is ranked a little higher than copra cake and cocoa pod husk but lower than fish meal and groundnut cake, especially in its protein value.
Besides oil and protein, palm kernel cake also has high fibre content of 16 per cent and high phosphorus to calcium ratio. Also present are essential elements like magnesium, iron and zinc. The typical feed ration formulated for the feeding of dairy cattle comprises 50 per cent palm kernel cake, molasses (5 per cent), grass/hay (42 per cent), limestone (1.5 per cent), mineral premix (1 per cent) and salt (0.5 per cent) and trace element of vitamin premix.
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
tree, however, yields two distinct oils - palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
and palm kernel oil
Palm kernel oil
Palm kernel oil is an edible plant oil derived from the kernel of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis. It should not be confused with the other two edible oils derived from palm fruits: coconut oil, extracted from the kernel of the coconut, and palm oil, extracted from the pulp of the oil palm...
.
Palm kernel cake are the leftovers after kernel oil is pressed out from the nut in the palm fruit. Palm kernel cake is commonly used as animal feed for dairy cattle because of its high protein content. If not, it is usually treated as biomass to fuel up boilers to generate electricity for use at palm oil mills and surrounding villages.
Production
There are two types of palm kernel cake, depending on the process to get it—either through mechanical or solvent process. In Malaysia, mechanical extraction by screw press is the most widely used. The solvent extraction process is generally not used because it is more expensive.Uses
Although palm kernel cake supplies both protein and energy, it is looked upon more as a source of protein. Palm kernel cake is a reasonably good economic feed for cattle, both for fattening and supplementary feeding. It has effectively reduced the cost of milk production in Malaysia because it is a substitute of costly imported feedstuffs like soybean meal and ground maize.Palm kernel cake, by itself, is a medium grade protein feed and with its high fibre content is often thought of being more suitable for feeding of ruminant
Ruminant
A ruminant is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first compartment of the stomach, principally through bacterial actions, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again...
s. Palm kernel cake is ranked a little higher than copra cake and cocoa pod husk but lower than fish meal and groundnut cake, especially in its protein value.
Besides oil and protein, palm kernel cake also has high fibre content of 16 per cent and high phosphorus to calcium ratio. Also present are essential elements like magnesium, iron and zinc. The typical feed ration formulated for the feeding of dairy cattle comprises 50 per cent palm kernel cake, molasses (5 per cent), grass/hay (42 per cent), limestone (1.5 per cent), mineral premix (1 per cent) and salt (0.5 per cent) and trace element of vitamin premix.
See also
- Palm kernel oilPalm kernel oilPalm kernel oil is an edible plant oil derived from the kernel of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis. It should not be confused with the other two edible oils derived from palm fruits: coconut oil, extracted from the kernel of the coconut, and palm oil, extracted from the pulp of the oil palm...
- Tropical agricultureTropical agricultureWorldwide more human beings gain their livelihood from agriculture than any other endeavor; the majority are self-employed subsistence farmers living in the tropics...
- Environmental issues with agricultureEnvironmental issues with agricultureThe environmental impact of agriculture varies based on the wide variety of agricultural practices employed around the world.-Climate change:Climate change and agriculture are interrelated processes, both of which take place on a global scale...
- Environmental impact of palm oilEnvironmental impact of palm oilPalm oil, produced from the oil palm, is a basic source of income for many farmers in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. It is locally used as a cooking oil, exported for use in many commercial food and personal care products and is converted into biofuel. It produces up...