Once an oil-palm bunch is cut, the clock starts. Enzymes in the fruit begin converting oil into free fatty acids, and every hour of delay between harvest and milling chips away at both quality and price.

Mill within 24 to 48 hours. Fresh fruit bunches should reach the mill as quickly as possible, ideally within a day or two of harvest. Beyond that window, FFA levels rise sharply and the oil grade falls.

Protect the fruit in transit. Keep bunches shaded, ventilated, and off bare ground. Heat and moisture accelerate spoilage, so covered, well-aired transport beats open piles left in the sun.

Plan harvest around evacuation. Only cut what you can move. Coordinating harvest rounds with transport and mill schedules stops fruit sitting at the roadside, the single biggest avoidable source of post-harvest loss.

For smallholders supplying aggregators like Idomit Agro, tighter post-harvest discipline translates directly into better grades and stronger prices.