Industrial potential of Lemon Grass.

Not all grass is weed. Many people do not know that some grass species have economic value. Some of these include cereals like maize, millet and fonio. In this piece, I would like to discuss two types of grass that you probably didn’t know belong to the grass family; they are not as cultivated around us as the cereals and other better known crops, yet you will be amazed at their usefulness and money spinner potential.

LEMON GRASS

Lemon grass has been priced since ancient times for its applications in medicine and cosmetics. In Nigeria, it is used in traditional medicine to arrest fever. It is also a valuable source of essential oils used in modern industry for the production of cosmetics, pharmaceutical products and in the production of confectioneries.

Essential oils, otherwise known as “volatile oils” are the odoriferous constituents of plants. Depending on the species of plant, essential oils are extracted from the petals, leaves, roots, buds, twigs, rhizomes, wood, bark, resin or fruit. The oil can be extracted through several processes like Hydro distillation, Steam distillation, Solvent extraction and super critical extraction.

However, the steam distillation method is recommended for larger production and better efficiency. Oil recovery rate for essential oil production from lemon grass is (0.1- 0.35) %. Essential oils are classified in the trade into three broad types according to their composition and end use: perfumery, medicinal and industrial. Of these, the medicinal type is the most patronised.

End users of essential oils are manufacturers of food flavours, beverages, perfumes, soap and other cosmetic products. In the pharmaceutical industry, they are used mostly in the preparation of hot rubs and medicinal (cough) sweets.

There are now locally-fabricated plants in the country which are suitable for small scale industry. A particular plant I saw at a research institute developed by indigenous engineers with locally sourced materials is so flexible that those who have large plantations of lemon grass or eucalyptus can install it in the field and the extraction conducted out there.

The oil can then be taken to the factory where purification and other processes can be conducted. The plant uses electricity but can also be adapted to use alternative fuels like coal or firewood.

Currently, local production of essential oils is insignificant; so, nearly 100 per cent of the essential oils used by our local industries are imported. However, research statistics indicate a local demand of over 100,000kg annually; a figure that could be met through local production efforts.

The export potential of essential oils is also very high as the market is presently dominated by the Chinese and Australians who are making significant income from this product in the international market. Essential oils production offers a wide business opportunity to small scale industrialists to invest in a viable area that guarantees speedy return on investments. Yours in the garden Farm2Markt