The Performance of The Small-Scale Oil Palm Enterprises in The Semi-Deciduous Forest Zone of Ghana

Small-scale oil palm processing enterprises are important avenues of rural employment, income generation and food security. Their performance has received little empirical attention, particularly in terms of efficiency, profitability and operational effectiveness. This study was conducted to examines the performance of small-scale palm oil processing enterprises in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Based on the data collected from sampled oil palm processors, the estimated gross margin and returns on investment revealed that palm oil processing by the small-scale enterprises was profitable. Meanwhile, their performance is significantly influenced by years of oil palm processing, membership of association, and household size. Further, Access to credit was found to be the major constraint in the industry. The study recommends that future study should be conducted to consider the qualitative aspect of measuring performance of the small-scale palm oil processing enterprises.