ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
The production of high-quality oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) is important for palm oil growers, as it significantly impacts their income. The productivity of FFB does not depend solely on yield but also on the quality of FFB to achieve a high oil extraction rate (OER). This study examines the factors influencing the productivity of FFB in the oil palm industry, as well as strategies for improving harvesting practices and yield. The low productivity of FFB can be attributed to various factors, including suboptimal harvesting techniques, labour management challenges, pests and diseases, soil conditions, and smallholder practices. The review highlights the need for a holistic approach that addresses environmental conditions, agronomic practices, harvesting techniques, and technological interventions to improve FFB yields, oil extraction rates, and economic returns. Proper harvesting practices, such as maintaining optimal harvesting intervals, are crucial for maximizing productivity. The FFB need to be graded thoroughly to ensure a high OER. Future research directions include qualitative studies to gain in-depth insights from industry stakeholders and quantitative analyses to assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing productivity and profitability in the oil palm industry.
Albakri, Z. M., Mohd Kassim, M. S., Abdullah, A. F., & Harith, H. H. (2019). Analysis of Oil Palm Leaf Phyllotaxis towards Development of Models to Determine the Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) Maturity Stages, Yield and Site-Specific Harvesting. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 27(2).
Alwarritzi, W., Nanseki, T., & Chomei, Y. (2015). Analysis of the Factors Influencing the Technical Efficiency among Oil Palm Smallholder Farmers in Indonesia. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 28, 630–638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2015.07.074
Asaad, M., Karo, R., & Martial, T. (2022). Production Efficiency Analysis of Oil Palm Plantations: Stochastic Frontier Approach. International Journal of Research and Review (Baroda), 9(12), 678–686. https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20221278
Asrol, M., Warid, H., & Ekawati, A. D. (2023). Triple Bottom Line Analysis and Assessment Towards Sustainable Palm Oil Plantation. E3S Web of Conferences, 388, 01027–01027. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202338801027
Bruno, L. C. (2017). Palm Oil Plantation Productivity During the Establishment of The Malaysian Refinery Sector, 1970–1990. Economic History of Developing Regions, 32(3), 221–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/20780389.2017.1343660
Cherie, D., Rini, R., & Makky, M. (2020). Optical Properties of Oil Palm Fresh Fruits Bunch (FFB) For Optimum Harvest-Window Prediction. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1469(1), 012105. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1469/1/012105
Chew, C. L., Ng, C. Y., Hong, W. O., Wu, T. Y., Lee, Y.-Y., Low, L. E., Kong, P. S., & Chan, E. S. (2021). Improving Sustainability of Palm Oil Production by Increasing Oil Extraction Rate: a Review. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 14(4), 573–586. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-020-02555-1
Chung, G. F. (2012). Effect of Pests and Diseases on Oil Palm Yield. Palm Oil, 163–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-9818936-9-3.50009-5
Daniel, C. (2022). A Blessing in Disguise? Effects of Oil Palm Adoption on Smallholder Farmers’ Wellbeing and Agricultural Transformation in Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.53846/goediss-8640
Vos, R. E., Nurfalah, L., Tenorio, F. A., Lim, Y. L., Monzón, J. P., Donough, C. R., Sugianto, H., Dwiyahreni, A. A., Winarni, N. L., Mulani, N., Ramadhan, G., Imran, M. A., Tito, A. P., Sulistiawan, P., Khoirul, M., Farrasati, R., Pradiko, I., Grassini, P., & Slingerland, M. A. (2023). Shortening harvest interval, reaping benefits? A study on harvest practices in oil palm smallholder farming systems in Indonesia. Agricultural Systems, 211, 103753–103753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103753
Dongoran, A. P., Nazaruddin, & Wibowo, R. P. (2020). Analysis of effect of leadership style, work motivation and work ability to employee satisfaction in increasing performance of harvesters. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 801, 012073. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/801/1/012073
Dzulkifli, I. J., Mohd Kassim, M. S., & Bejo, S. K. (2021). Development Of 360-Degree Imaging System for Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) Identification. Journal of Agricultural and Food Engineering, 1(4), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.37865/jafe.2021.0028
Escallón-Barrios, M., Castillo-Gomez, D., Leal, J., Montenegro, C., & Medaglia, A. L. (2020). Improving Harvesting Operations in An Oil Palm Plantation. Annals of Operations Research, 314(2), 411–449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-020-03686-6
Euler, M. (2022). Oil Palm Expansion Among Indonesian Smallholders - Adoption, Welfare Implications and Agronomic Challenges. https://doi.org/10.53846/goediss-5103
Ahmad Parveez, G. K., Loh, S. K., Ong-Abdullah, M., Idris, Z., Hishamuddin, E., Mohamed Salleh, K., Zanal Bidin, M. N. I., Sundram, S., & Azizul Hasan, Z. A. (2020). Oil Palm Economic Performance in Malaysia and R&D Progress In 2019. Journal of Oil Palm Research, 32(2), 159–190. https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2020.0032
Hazir, M. H. M., Shariff, A. R. M., & Amiruddin, M. D. (2012). Determination Of Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunch Ripeness—Based on Flavonoids and Anthocyanin Content. Industrial Crops and Products, 36(1), 466–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.10.020
Henry, W., & Wan, H. (2012). Effects of salinity on fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production and oil-to-bunch ratio of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) planted in reclaimed mangrove swamp areas in Sabah. Oil Palm Bulletin, (65), 12-20.
Henson, I. E. (2012). Ripening, Harvesting, and Transport of Oil Palm Bunches. In L. Oi-Ming, T. Chin-Ping, & A. Casimir C (Eds.), Palm Oil (pp. 137–162). AOCS Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-9818936-9-3.50008-3
Jelani, A. Razak, Hitam, A., Jamak, J., Noor, M., Gono, Y., & Ariffin, O. (2008). CantasTM – A Tool for The Efficient Harvesting of Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunches – Journal of Oil Palm Research. Journal of Palm Oil Research, 20, 548–558. http://jopr.mpob.gov.my/cantastm-a-tool-for-the-efficient-harvesting-of-oil-palm-fresh-fruit-bunches/
Khalid, M. R., & Shuib, A. R. (2014). Field Evaluation of Harvesting Machines for Tall Oil Palms. Journal of Oil Palm Research, 26(2), 125–132. http://jopr.mpob.gov.my/field-evaluation-of-harvesting-machines-for-tall-oil-palms/
Lim, C. H., Cheah, Z. H., Lee, X. H., How, B. S., Ng, W. P. Q., Ngan, S. L., Lim, S., & Lam, H. L. (2021). Harvesting And Evacuation Route Optimisation Model for Fresh Fruit Bunch in The Oil Palm Plantation Site. Journal of Cleaner Production, 307, 127238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127238
Makky, M., & Soni, P. (2013). Towards Sustainable Green Production: Exploring Automated Grading for Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) Using Machine Vision and Spectral Analysis. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology, 3(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.18517/ijaseit.3.1.267
Mohamad, M. F., Sowat, S. N., Selamat, H., Azaman, A., & Harith, H. H. (2022). Structural Design of a Passive Wearable Exoskeleton to Assist Oil Palm Harvesting Operation. Journal of Oil Palm Research, In press. https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2022.0075
Mohanaraj, S., & Donough, C. (2016). Harvesting Practices for Maximum Yield in Oil Palm: Results from A Re-Assessment at IJM Plantations, Sabah. Oil Palm Bulletin, 72, 32–37. http://palmoilis.mpob.gov.my/publications/OPB/opb72-mohanaraj.pdf
Mohd Kassim, M. S. M., Ismail, W. I. W., Ramli, A. R., & Bejo, S. K. (2012). Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) Growth Determination System to Support Harvesting Operation. J. Food Agric. Environ, 10(2), 620-625.
Monita, C. F., & Dinda, D. (2023). Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Produktivitas Kelapa Sawit di PT. Mustika Agung Sentosa. Jurnal Manajemen Agribisnis (Denpasar), 11(01), 231–231. https://doi.org/10.24843/jma.2023.v11.i01.p18
Murad, A. J., Awang, M. R., Mohamed, A. R., Osman, Z., Salleh, M. Z., & Ahmad, H. (2015). Manual Penggredan Buah Kelapa Sawit MPOB (3rd ed.). Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia (MPOB).
Nai Sowat, S., Wan Ismail, W. I., Mahadi, M. R., Bejo, S. K., & Mohd Kassim, M. S. (2018). Trend in the Development of Oil Palm Fruit Harvesting Technologies in Malaysia. Jurnal Teknologi, 80(2). https://doi.org/10.11113/jt.v80.11298
Rhebergen, T., Fairhurst, T., Whitbread, A., Giller, K. E., & Zingore, S. (2018). Yield Gap Analysis and Entry Points for Improving Productivity on Large Oil Palm Plantations and Smallholder Farms in Ghana. Agricultural Systems, 165, 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2018.05.012
Robins, J. (2020). Shallow Roots: The Early Oil Palm Industry in Southeast Asia, 1848–1940. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 51(4), 538–560. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463420000697
Rosdin, R., Cheah, W. Y., & Moslim, R. (2023). Systematic Literature Review on the Social and Economic Impacts of Palm Oil Certification on Smallholders. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 8(3), e002148. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v8i3.2148
Salmiyati, Heryansyah, A., Idayu, I., & Supriyanto, E. (2014). Oil Palm Plantations Management Effects on Productivity Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB). APCBEE Procedia, 8, 282–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcbee.2014.03.041
Shabdin, M. K., Shariff, A. R. M., Johari, M. N. A., Saat, N. K., & Abbas, Z. (2016). A Study on The Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) Ripeness Detection by Using Hue, Saturation and Intensity (HSI) Approach. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 37, 012039. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/37/1/012039
Syuhada, S., Rahim, M., Kamarulzaman, N., Nawi, N., Hanis, A., & Hadi, I. (2023). Behavioural Impacts of Workers on Performance: The Case of Malaysian Oil Palm Plantation. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(5), 1754–1775. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i5/16857
Ismail, W. I., Razali, M. H., Ramli, A. R., Sulaiman, Md. N., & Harun, M. (2009). Development of Imaging Application for Oil Palm Fruit Maturity Prediction. Engineering E-Transaction, 4(2), 56–63.
Watkins, C. (2022). Oil Palm: A Global History. Agricultural History, 96(3), 453–455. https://doi.org/10.1215/00021482-9825340
Zulkefli, F., Syahlan, S., Bakar, M. A., Khalid, M. F., & Rakibe, I. (2020). Factors Influencing Labour Productivity in Oil Palm Estate. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i4/7114
Zulkifli, H., M. Halimah, Chan, K. M., Yuen May Choo, & W. Mohd Basri. (2010). Life Cycle Assessment for Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunch Production from Continued Land Use for Oil Palm Planted on Mineral Soil (Part 2). Journal of Oil Palm Research, 22, 887–894.
Samian, M. R., & Rizal, A. M. (2024). Improving Palm Oil Productivity through Harvesting Practices. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(10), 2276–2284.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode