Consumption pattern of oil palm and non-oil palm cultivating farmer families: A comparative study

Abstract

Oil palm provides around 40% of all traded vegetable oil and was one of the most significant oil crop in the world. Over three billion people especially in Asia regularly eat palm oil as essential dietary ingredients. Palm oil also have a variety of significant non-food applications like in cleaning and sanitizing goods. In this study, a total 90 sample size was selected, of which 30 each were newly established oil palm plantation, well-established oil palm plantation and non-oil palm farmers especially paddy respectively. The dietary intake was calculated using 24 hour recall method. Statistical analysis was carried out to compare the nutrient intake difference between three set of farmers. The results showed that well-established oil palm farmer’s nutrient intake was higher than newly established oil palm and paddy farmers. For energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, phosphorous and vitamin A have showed significant difference at 0.05 level. Vitamin c did not show any significant statistical difference.