The average economic life-span of the oil
palm is 25 years. A marked increase in the cultivation
of oil palm began in 1960 (Kamaruddin et al. 1991),
so that the year 1990 onwards will see a peak in
replanting. This will be a good opportunity to
harness the ligno-cellulosic biomass or by-products
of the oil palm, including the fronds (Table 1). Oilpalm
fronds are available daily throughout the year
when the palms are pruned during the harvesting of
fresh fruit bunches for the production of oil.