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  • Where do Shea nuts come from?
  • Production of shea nuts in some selected countries from 2001-2012 (Source: FAOSTAT, 2013). The shea tree is a multipurpose tree crop indigenous to Sub Saharan African. The tree is highly cherished for the oil that is extracted from its kernels and used nationally and internationally in cosmetics, pharmaceutics and in chocolate formulations.
  • What is a shea nut kernel?
  • The kernel is the oil-bearing material that can be obtained by processing the shea nut fruit. The fruit primarily undergoes several processes - de-pulping, boiling, drying, deshelling, winnowing and sorting - to obtain the kernel from which the shea butter is extracted. Mechanical processing technology
  • Should West Africa develop a value added sector for Shea?
  • Developing a native value added sector for shea in West Africa would decrease the majority of shea exports leaving as raw nuts to be refined and resold elsewhere. It is widely believed by industry experts that additional idle supply exists and remains unharvested.
  • Where does Shea demand come from?
  • Currently 90% of shea demand comes from the confectionary industry affording chocolate manufacturers an alternative to cocoa butter. Shea also has a high demand in natural cosmetics sectors, which could serve as an important source of diversification of demand.
  • How is shea butter made in Africa?
  • The shea tree is considered the second most important oil crop in Africa after the oil palm tree . Following de-pulping (for consumption or conservation), the dried shea kernels are processed into shea butter through grinding, roasting, milling, churning, washing, and heating (Figures 2 and 3) . ... ...
  • Which country produces the most shea nut?
  • ... of the po- tentials of shea nut indicate that major producing countries are found in West Africa. Available data from FAOSTAT (2013), shows that Nigeria has the highest potential of shea nut pro- duction.