Tips for Choosing PKS

For the CPO producers, tenera is preferred because the thick coir (mesocarp fiber) will produce more CPO. Whereas for PKS (palm kernel shell) users such as power plants and a number of industries, the type of dura palm oil is preferred. PKS tenera has a thin shell (0.5-4 mm) so that the calorific value tends to be lower than the dura with a thicker shell (2-8 mm). Old palm oil plantations usually use tenera types to maximize CPO yield, while old palm oil plantations usually use a type of dura. PKS as a byproduct or one of the solid wastes in a CPO mill is actually not a major concern for palm oil mills, and CPO is clearly the main focus. PKS is primarily a concern of traders and users, so quality factors emerge as a consequence of buying and selling transactions.

Indonesia has around 12 million hectares of palm oil plantations at present, consisting of 4.8 million hectares of smallholder plantations, 6.2 million hectares of private plantations and 0.8 million hectares of state plantations. There are still many regions in Indonesia that use the type of dura on their palm oil plantations. Smallholder palm oil or community palm oil plantations are one of the many that produce this type of dura palm. When PKS demand increases sharply as it is today, especially for export markets to Japan and Korea (more information read here), then PKS dura types are the first choice. In practice it is difficult to find PKS that is 100% dura because the source of palm oil fruits used in CPO production also comes from various sources. The source of the nucleus (company plantation) can be the majority in the form of tenera, while palm oil from community plantations can be the majority of the dura. The composition of the dura and tenera also varies depending on composition the nucleus and plasma plantations. For example, a CPO mill with a nucleus plantation which is majority still new plants so that the palm oil fruit majority comes from the community plantation. Or it could be that the nucleus plantation has entered the replanting phase so that supply is limited and relies on community plantations and so on.

According to botany, dura-type plants have dominant alela homosigot (sh + sh +) so produce thick shells. Whereas hybrids from dura with pisifera, which are tenera-type plants that have alela heterosigot (sh + sh-) have thin shells and are surrounded by fiber rings in the mesocarp. Pisifera type plants themselves have recessive alela homosigot (sh-sh-) so they do not form shells. Generally this type of pisifera is not used as a commercial for palm oil plantations because it fails to form fruit. But indeed there are several types of pisifera that are still fertile and capable of reproducing. Dura type plants can also be said to be parent plants because the tenera type is a crossing of dura and pisifera.