History
Oil from the African oil palm Elaeis guineensis has long been recognized in West African countries. European merchants trading with West Africa occasionally purchased palm oil for use in Europe, but palm kernel oil remained rare outside West Africa. In the Asante Confederacy, state-owned slaves built large plantations of oil palm trees, while in the neighbouring Kingdom of Dahomey, King Ghezo passed a law in 1856 forbidding his subjects from cutting down oil palms.
The USDA has published historical production figures for palm kernel oil for years beginning October 1 and ending September 30:
| Year | Production, Million Tonne |
| 2008–09 | 11.75 |
| 2009–10 | 12.22 |
| 2010–11 | 12.55 |
| 2011–12 | 13.28 |
Read more about this topic: Palm Kernel Oil
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