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Palm tree is an economic tree that usually grow in a region of high temperature,plenty of sunshine and high rainfall but can survive in area of moderate rainfall. It grows tall and branchless except for long palm fronts that serves as it's leaves. It's a crop of forest region but can anywhere provided that the required conditions are available. It can grow wild,are also planted around houses and in palm plantation. Palm trees are very valued economic trees in Africa and especially in the eastern part of Nigeria where it's one their main economic and cash crop. Nigeria was one of the major export of palm oil gotten from palm fruit of palm tree before the discovery of crude oil but after the discovery of crude oil, palm oil production reduced drastically with most farmers producing for only family consumption.
palm tree
Importance of Palm Trees
Most of importance of palm trees are gotten from it's products after processing. Starting from palm oil which is the major product is very important. Palm oil is gotten from palm fruit which is fruit of palm tree. Palm oil is use in cooking and most nigeria foods involve oil. It's an important requirement in cooking african food especially Nigeria food. Palm oil is a good source of vitamin A which is good for the sight.
Palm fronts serve as food to domestic herbivores like goats,sheep and cattle.local farmers use it to feed their livestock. Broom sticks are also gotten from palm fronts when the leaves are removed and we all know, brooms are use in sweeping the environment.
Palm kernel which is a product gotten after the processing of palm fruit is use as a raw material in making cooking oil, soaps etc while palm kernel shells can be used as firewood locally.
palm fruit
Another product gotten from palm tree is palm wine which sweet and alcoholic. It's usually tap from palm tree by boring hole at the top and fixing container near the hole for dripping of win inside.
Most astonishing part is that palm tree used for palm wine tapping cannot bear palm fruits meaning that you either wine production or oil production from palm trees.
palm tree
all pictures taken by me
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