Palm oil is native to West Africa. Nigeria used to be the world's largest producer of oil palm before the oil boom era, but Malaysia has now taken the leading position. Oil palm plantation and allied industries is now the main stay of the Malaysian economy. The tree spacing calculator can be used in various ways: the leaves are used in making brooms and for roofing materials (in the rural areas). The bark of the fond can be peeled and woven into baskets, the main trunk can be split like sawn timbers and used as part of building materials, while palm wine can also be obtained from the palm tree, as well as red palm oil, which is readily obtainable from the fresh fruit bunches.
When the fruit is processed, however, the residue obtained can be used as fuel (for cooking and fertilizer to improve soil nutrient).
Red palm oil is used in cooking, making soap, candle and margarine. Palm kernel oil can be extracted from the nut, while the residue obtainable in the process of palm kernel oil extraction, otherwise called palm kernel cake, is used as livestock feed.
Palm kernel oil is used in vegetable oil and soap making, and the shells are useful as energy source. The uses to which oil palm can be made seem non-exhaustive. This clearly indicates that investment made in the establishment of oil palm plantation is nothing but a wise one.