Lemon grass - Scientific Research Council

with an average unit price of US$23,326 pertonne. Ireland is one of the leading exporters ofessential oil mixtures for food and drink.Processing InformationThe diagram below gives a schematic presentationof oil extraction via distillation. Oil is mainlyobtained through steam distillation of the driedmaterial. The recovery of oil from local driedlemon grass is about 0.7 per cent. Hydrosol, a byproductof the process, can be used in cosmetictoiletries and herbal products. Zero wasteprocessing can be realized as the spent leaves canbe used in personal care products, animal feedand compost. Purification of the oil can beachieved by simple filtration. Extraction using thespinning cone column, available in Jamaica,employs a somewhat more sophisticated technology.It is thought to be a very efficientextraction process which can be manipulated toproduce specific profiles .Essential Oil - Steam Distillation ProcessCharacteristics of Lemongrass oilAppearance Clear mobile liquidOdourStrong Lemon likeColourPaleY ellowRelative gravity 0.872 – 0.905Refractive index 1.483 1.489Optical rotation 3◦ +1◦Economic InformationOil - A one-acre farm can produce 14.32 kg of oilper harvest. Lemon grass can be harvested up to4 times per year making it a total of 57.28 kg ofoil per year. Current market price for lemon grassoil is US$66 per kg, allows this level of productionto generate (US$66 x 57.28 kg) or US$3,780(J$340,243) at an exchange rate of US$1.00:J$90.00.Hydrosol (floral water) – Simultaneously, the oneacrefarm can produce 13,088 Kg of hydrosol peryear. Current market price for hydrosol is US$3.80per kg, allowing this level of production togenerate (US$3.80 x 13,088 kg) or US$49,734(J$4.48 million) at an exchange rate of US$1.00:J$90.00. An entrepreneur can therefore grossJ$4.8 million from a one-acre farm annually. Highquality commercial lemon grass oil is a viableproposition for the small and medium sizedenterprises. Recommended acreage to supportviable economic extraction of oil is 5 acres.DisclaimerThe information presented here is provided for guidance purposes only. Producers of herbal ingredients and of finished consumerproducts that contain herbs are responsible for knowing, understanding, and conforming to all laws and regulations that arerelevant to their businesses, and for implementing practices that may go beyond those described here, as needed. This documentdoes not serve as a substitute for a grower’s or manufacturer’s need to be knowledgeable about the plants which they produce,extract or process. In addition, it does not address all of the needs of those who are producing crops that comply with organicagriculture or other specifically defined agricultural practices. In preparing this document, every effort was made to identifycurrent prices and applications. Guidelines may be revised periodicallyas new information and technology develop.•Tel. (876) 927-1771-4 •Fax (876) 977-1840 •marketech@src-jamaica.org •www.src-jamaica.orgScientific Research Council©2009