Benso Oil Palm Plantation

What Benso Oil Palm Plantation does

Benso Oil Palm Plantation Plc (BOPP) is a Ghanaian vertically integrated oil palm plantation and palm oil producer, headquartered at the Adum Banso Estate in the Western Region of Ghana. The company was founded in 1976 as a joint venture between U.A.C.I. and the Ghana Government, listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 2004, and acquired in 2011 by Wilmar International (the largest agribusiness company on the Singapore Stock Exchange) through its Wilmar Africa Limited subsidiary, which also owns the Frytol cooking oil brand. BOPP operates a 6,799-hectare concession with 4,738 hectares of mature oil palms (planted between 1998 and 2016, with earlier-generation palms already replanted) and runs a separate 1,650-hectare smallholder scheme serving 438 farmer households.

The company's core technology is its palm oil mill, originally commissioned in 1981 at 16 tonnes/hour, upgraded to 20 tonnes/hour in 1992, and most recently expanded to 30 tonnes/hour in 2017 via a $3 million+ investment in a 1MW steam turbine, 25-tonne/hour boiler, and third sterilizer. The mill processes up to 150,000 metric tons of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per annum, producing over 23,000 metric tons of crude palm oil (CPO) and 6,000 metric tons of palm kernel (PK) annually, with approximately 90% of factory power generated from fibre and shell biomass waste. Best Management Practice trials conducted with the International Plant Nutrition Institute between 2013 and 2018 positioned BOPP as a center of excellence and industry benchmark in Africa.

BOPP generates revenue primarily through the sale of CPO and PK to Wilmar Africa Limited for downstream cooking oil production, supplemented by trading of CPO and crude palm kernel oil (CPKO). Pricing is set by world market reference prices rather than disclosed contract terms, exposing earnings to commodity-price volatility (evident in the 73% turnover expansion and 258% operating profit increase in 2021). Raw material (FFB) is sourced from BOPP's two nucleus estate divisions (Ahinkrom and Edumasi), the smallholder scheme, and Outside Purchased Fruits (OPF) buying centers. The company employs 500 permanent staff, engages roughly 1,500 contractor workers, and supports about 2,000 employee dependents and 1,600 smallholder dependents in its on-estate residential and community facilities.

Name

Benso Oil Palm Plantation

Legal name

Benso Oil Palm Plantation Plc

Website

https://boppplc.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Benso Oil Palm Plantation is a Ghanaian vertically integrated oil palm producer operating a 6,799-hectare estate and 30 tonne/hour mill, supplying crude palm oil and palm kernel primarily to its parent Wilmar Africa for Frytol cooking oil production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Palm Oil Production

NAICS

Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Palm Oil Milling, Refining & Fractionation (AFAKAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tropical Oils & Fractions (Palm, Palm Kernel, Coconut) (AFAJALAD), Industrial Oil & Wax Crop Farming (Castor, Jojoba, Oil Palm for industrial uses) (AFAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Crude palm oil
• Palm kernel production
• Oil palm plantation
• Palm oil milling
• Tropical agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Takoradi

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Crude Palm Oil (CPO) Sales: BOPP operates a palm oil mill with 30 tonne per hour capacity, capable of handling 150,000 metric tons of fresh fruit bunches per annum. Annual production exceeds 23,000 metric tons of crude palm oil. The company sources FFB from its nucleus estate and smallholder scheme.
2. Palm Kernel (PK) Sales: The palm oil mill produces palm kernel as a secondary product, with annual production exceeding 6,000 metric tons of palm kernel.
3. Trading CPO and CPKO: 2021 saw 63% and 70% growth in trading CPO and CPKO prices respectively compared to prior period, contributing to improved operating profit. Turnover expanded approximately by 73% from GH¢123.82 million to GH¢214.18 million.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Benso Oil Palm Plantation Plc (BOPP) operates a vertically integrated oil palm plantation and palm oil mill in Ghana's Western Region, cultivating 4,738 hectares of mature oil palms across a 6,799-hectare concession and processing Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) at its 30 tonne-per-hour mill. It produces and sells Crude Palm Oil (CPO) and Palm Kernel (PK) as primary outputs, with over 23,000 metric tons of CPO and 6,000 metric tons of PK produced annually, and also runs a 1,650-hectare smallholder scheme supporting 438 farmer households.

Product overview

Benso Oil Palm Plantation PLC is a vertically integrated oil palm plantation and palm oil producer. The company operates a 6,799-hectare concession with 4,738 hectares of mature oil palms and a 30 tonne-per-hour palm oil mill. Its core products are Crude Palm Oil (CPO) and Palm Kernel (PK), produced through processing Fresh Fruit Bunches from its nucleus estate (Ahinkrom and Edumasi divisions) and external suppliers. BOPP also supports a 1,650-hectare smallholder scheme with 438 farmer households, providing technical guidance and serving as off-taker for their produce. The company is a subsidiary of Wilmar Africa Limited (a subsidiary of Wilmar International, listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange), which produces Frytol cooking oil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crude Palm Oil (CPO)
• Palm Kernel (PK)
• Palm Oil Milling Services
• Outside Purchased Fruits (OPF) Procurement

Quantifiable outcome

• 258% increase in operating profit in 2021
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wilmar Africa LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2011Wilmar Africa Limited, a subsidiary of Wilmar International (listed on Singapore Stock Exchange), acquired Unilever Ghana's shares and became the majority shareholder with management control of BOPP in March 2011. Wilmar is the largest agribusiness company on the Singapore Stock Exchange and current owner/producer of Frytol cooking oil. BOPP is vertically integrated with Wilmar Africa.
• International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBOPP collaborated with IPNI to conduct Best Management Practice (BMP) trials under the theme 'Best Management Practice (BMP) for Achieving Maximum Economic Yield in Oil Palm' between 2013 and 2018. This partnership established BOPP as a center of excellence and industry benchmark in Africa.
• Dehands ServicesminorOthersDehands Services serves as the Company Secretary for BOPP PLC, providing corporate secretarial services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Golden Agri-Resources: Indonesia-based, Singapore-listed palm oil major with end-to-end operations from plantations to consumer brands. Comparable as a vertically integrated counterpart serving global edible oil markets.
• First Resources: Singapore-listed palm oil group with plantations in Indonesia and downstream operations. Comparable as a regional listed palm oil producer of similar order of magnitude to BOPP's parent.
• IOI Corporation: Major Malaysian integrated palm oil producer with significant plantation, milling, and downstream refining capacity. Comparable as a large-scale listed palm oil producer facing similar CPO price and ESG dynamics.
• Sime Darby Plantation: One of the world's largest listed palm oil producers with integrated estates, mills, and downstream operations across Malaysia, Indonesia, and Africa. Comparable as a global benchmark for cost-per-tonne, yield, and sustainability positioning.
• Wilmar International: Parent group and majority shareholder of BOPP through Wilmar Africa; the world's largest palm oil company with full upstream-downstream integration. Relevant as the parent context and global benchmark for BOPP's operating and capital allocation approach.

Direct peers

• Presco Plc: Nigerian-listed oil palm plantation and palm oil producer with a vertically integrated estate-mill-refinery model. Closely comparable in business model (plantation plus mill, palm oil plus palm kernel) and West African regional exposure.
• Ghana Oil Palm Development Company (GOPDC): Ghanaian oil palm plantation and miller operating in the Eastern Region, directly comparable to BOPP as a domestic competitor producing CPO from a nucleus estate plus outgrower scheme for the same Ghanaian market.
• Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc: Nigerian-listed oil palm plantation operating a nucleus estate plus outgrower scheme with CPO and PK output. Comparable in scale, vertical structure, and West African market dynamics.

Emerging players

• SIAT Group: Belgian-headquartered agribusiness with significant oil palm plantation and processing operations in West and Central Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon). Comparable as an African-focused palm oil peer competing in overlapping geographies.

Regional players

• PALMCI: Ivorian integrated palm oil company (part of SIFCA Group) operating plantations, mills, and refineries in Côte d'Ivoire. Comparable as a West African palm oil peer operating in a neighboring market with similar smallholder dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Benso Oil Palm Plantation