SUMMARY
Like most underdeveloped countries, Togo is faced with enormous
difficulties to combat poverty. However there are income-generating sectors on
which this fight can rely. One of these sectors is the traditional processing.
This study focuses on the traditional processing and marketing of oil palm in
the Maritime region. The results from this study show that:
- Oil-palm produced traditionally with rudimentary means in the
Maritime region is not safe microbiologically. Indeed, the yeast can be
detected at a rate exceeding that of tolerance according to the criteria of the
Codex Alimentarius for edible oils in four (04) samples analyzed palm kernel
oil. And mould is in five (05) samples. But flora mesophilic total (30 °
C) is observed at a rate lower than the threshold of tolerance in all samples.
The largest number of colonies forming units (CFU) / mL of flora mesophilic
total (30 ° C) 6500, yeasts or 390 and moulds or 1360 are observed in the
sample units collected from the area. This is due to the longer duration of
conservation and exposure to the sun oils that create better conditions for
growth in Australia;
- Operating accounts of production units to show that different
scale units producing a bottle of palm kernel oil are not profitable (the rate
of return is - 10%). On the other hand those who can produce two (02) to five
(05) cans of oil are profitable (with rates of return of 10%, 1%, 9% and 14%
respectively for two (02) cans, three (03 ) cans, four (04) cans and five (05)
cans). This allows processors to generate income. Similarly, the marketing of
thirty-five (35) cans of palm kernel oil per week is profitable (its rate of
return is 18%) and also a
gain of income to women. These revenues can play particularly
important role in meeting the daily needs of these women and / or their
household and generally in the decline of poverty in the country.
Based on these results, it is suggested that:
The government of Togo helps build an active cell within its
agricultural institutions whose primary objective will be to provide support
and advice direct to the traditional processing units; Lending to production
units in constituting guarantor from financial institutions; the initiation of
a program to teach processors; the creation of a body of collecting palm nuts
with a storage device that can avoid dirtying and whose management available
through delegates processors under the supervision of agents of the State; the
creation of a system of quality control of the palm oil produced in order to
determine their destination (uses food consumption, confectionery, bakery or
soap , and others) and the strengthening of existing analytical laboratories;
the promotion of palm kernel oil by popular actions in improving knowledge
thereof by the domestic market and even outside;
- Development organizations lead processors to organize the
formation of cooperatives sector in which each group of individuals will have a
definite task as follow: there will be a group exclusively for the collection
of raw materials, another group will deal with the changes in the traditional
organization into cooperatives, and a last group will be responsible for the
marketing of palm kernel oil produced by the cooperative; provide literacy
processors; generate enthusiasm in planting palm oil and ensure regular
maintenance.
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