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Difficulty: EasyManufacturing Industries and Location Factors

Why are palm oil processing mills in southern Nigeria predominantly situated within or near oil palm plantations rather than close to urban consumer markets?

  1. Oil palm fruit is a weight-losing and perishable raw material that must be processed immediately to prevent degradation.Answer
  2. B
    Palm oil processing is a weight-gaining industry that increases bulk during production.
  3. C
    Processing mills operate as footloose industries with no dependency on raw material location.
  4. D
    Urban consumer markets impose strict environmental zoning bans on all food processing factories.

Answer

Palm oil processing mills are located near plantations because fresh fruit bunches are heavy, bulky, weight-losing, and highly perishable, making raw material proximity the primary least-cost location factor.
The correct option highlights that oil palm fruit bunches lose weight during milling and decay quickly if not processed immediately. Following Weber's least-cost location theory, processing raw materials that undergo significant weight reduction or rapid spoilage takes place near the point of harvest to reduce haulage costs.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the nature of the raw material (oil palm fruit bunches).
Oil palm fruit bunches are heavy, bulky, and subject to rapid deterioration (free fatty acid buildup) after harvesting.
Understanding raw material characteristics dictates transport cost behavior according to industrial location principles.
2
Determine weight change during processing.
Extraction yields a smaller weight of oil compared to the heavy weight of fresh fruit bunches, classifying it as a weight-losing process.
Weight-losing industries locate near raw material sources to minimize total transportation expenditure.

Key Concept

Raw Material Orientation and Weight-Losing Industries
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Topics

Manufacturing Industries and Location Factors

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