India's palm oil output may face winter chill: Malaysian scientist

Harikrishna said that in India winter is the main concern in getting optimum yields as when the temperature drops palms get stressed and start producing male flowers

India’s palm oil yield, which currently averages around 18-20 tonnes per hectare, will require robust investment in research to match global standards but winter remains a hindrance in getting optimum yield under natural conditions, a senior scientist at one of the world’s largest palm plantation companies based in Malaysia has said.

Palm oil is the world’s cheapest and most widely used vegetable oil, and is found in everything from cookies to lipstick.

“Most probably India can hit an average yield of 18-20 tonnes per hectare. To push beyond that, one needs to have a better understanding of what type