Agbanga Karite - African owned wholesaler of Unrefined Shea Butter & African Black Soap
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Oil Palm Varieties Yield vs Quality There are two native varieties of oil palm in West Africa, Dura and Pisifera. Dura is the main variety found in natural groves, and has been the source of palm oil for decades - well before modern methods of oil palm cultivation were introduced to Africa in the second quarter of the 20th century. Plant breeders created the hybrid variety Tenera by crossing Dura and Pisifera. The Dura has a large nut with a thick shell and thin mesocarp. The Pisifera is a small fruit with no shell. The Tenera fruit has a thick mesocarp containing much more oil and fat (chemically saturated oil) than either of its parents. The Tenera nut is small and is easily shelled to release the palm kernel. The Tenera palm kernel is smaller than the Dura kernel although the Tenera bunch is much larger than Dura. The Tenera is considered a better variety for commercial industrial purposes because of high yields, but it produces inferior oil for food consumption. African consumers have found that the palm oil produced from Tenera was too fatty. This means that when the oil cools to ambient temperature it 'goes to sleep' or solidifies instead of remaining fluid and red. In addition, the oil did not have the right taste as oil or as a soup base. While individual West African farmers have not adopted the Tenera hybrid on a large scale, development agencies such as the FAO, World Bank, IMF, etc… have been pressuring governments and farmers to adopt Tenera for decades. Large government and corporate plantations in Togo and other West African nations do use Tenera, but this oil is highly refined and is produced for the export market. Any palm oil produced outside West Africa is from the hybrid varieties. The palm oil that Agbanga Karite produces comes from native Dura palms, which are grown naturally on hundreds of small farms. Purchase red palm oil | Palm Oil History | Impacts of Oil Palm Plantations
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Shea Butter Call us Toll Free 9-4 PST M-F 1-800-664-8005 Outside the USA & Canada, call 1-360-866-0080 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR Current Sale Items
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