Lemon grass
more commonly known in
Jamaica as ‘Fever grass’ is a tall perennial grass
known for its refreshing citrus aroma. Currently,
lemon grass is not grown on a commercial scale in
Jamaica, however it is a popular crop in countries
such as Madagascar, Zambia, Guatemala, India,
China, and Sri Lanka. Local manufacturers import
the oil for preparation of aromatherapy products,
candles, soaps and insect repellent sprays. Apart
from the use of the leaves directly for the
manufacture of food products, extracted essential
oil and hydrosol can add an exciting dimension to
this commodity.
Properties of Lemon Grass Oil
C.
flexuosus
20.93
13.11
7.82
61.98
2.00
15.09
Citral
• Geranial
• Neral
Geraniol
Citronellal
Others
C.
citratus
66.81
37.76
29.05
6.27
0.11
26.81
Jamaican lemon grass oil as an essential oil, is rich
in citral (geranial and neral) and geraniol,
important components in aromatherapy, personal
care and other wellness products.
Gas Chromatogram of C. flexuosus
1.321
1.388
FI D1 B, (16 909 \SIG20621.D)
pA
Geraniol
700
12.817
600
500
Geranial
17.390
14.223
18.533
11.996
11.679
9.809
10.595 Gamma Terpineol
9.191
8.713
R&S Citronellal
8.807
8.019
6.381
6.454
7.194
7.317
7.504
5.888
100
3.210
3.354
3.672
3.835
4.092
4.400Myrcene
1.205
1.574
1.898
200
13.175
Nera l
400
300
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Currently the world production of lemon grass oil
is about 600 tonnes per annum. Western Europe
and North America are the main buyers with
North America representing about 33% of global
demand and Japan accounting for 10%. During the
period 1999-2005, the oil sold at an average of
US$20 - 25/kg. Current prices for bulk lemon grass
oil is US$28. In 2004 Jamaica imported 798 (kg) of
the oil from the Netherlands and the US. Since
then, a steady increase in demand has been
noted. Growth in the health and wellness industry
has significantly increased the demand for
essential oils.
Market value of commodities for Jamaica’s
major trading partners
partners::
%
Chemical
Components
Market and Production Information
min
• In 2005 the spa and wellness market of the USA
was estimated to turn over just under US$9
billion.
• European and USA specialty food and drink
sales are projected to be valued US$6.6 billion
in 2009.
• Personal Care Products is a significant growth
market that is projected to be worth
approximately US$6 billion by 2010 in Europe
and the USA.
Import/export trends show India to be the largest
producer of lemon grass with about 80% of it
exported. According to the ‘2008 JEA Market
Brief On Essential Oils’ the USA, the largest
importer of essential oils, imported US$7b in 2006
followed by the UK with US$4b. The value of
essential oil entering the US in 2006 was over
US$7b, a 21% increase between 2002 and 2006.
The import of essential oil mixture for food and
drinks was 44,565 tonnes valued at US$2b with an
average unit price of US$46,543 per tonne. The
UK imported 27,102 tonnes valued at US$632b
with an average unit price of US$23,326 per
tonne. Ireland is one of the leading exporters of
essential oil mixtures for food and drink.
Processing Information
The diagram below gives a schematic presentation
of oil extraction via distillation. Oil is mainly
obtained through steam distillation of the dried
material. The recovery of oil from local dried
lemon grass is about 0.7 per cent. Hydrosol, a byproduct of the process, can be used in cosmetic
toiletries and herbal products. Zero waste
processing can be realized as the spent leaves can
be used in personal care products, animal feed
and compost. Purification of the oil can be
achieved by simple filtration. Extraction using the
spinning cone column, available in Jamaica,
employs a somewhat more sophisticated technology. It is thought to be a very efficient
extraction process which can be manipulated to
produce specific profiles .
Essential Oil - Steam Distillation Process
Characteristics of Lemongrass oil
Appearance
Clear mobile liquid
Odour
Strong Lemon like
Colour
PaleY ellow
Relative gravity
0.872 – 0.905
Refractive index
1.483 1.489
Optical rotation
3◦ +1◦
Economic Information
Oil - A one-acre farm can produce 14.32 kg of oil
per harvest. Lemon grass can be harvested up to
4 times per year making it a total of 57.28 kg of
oil per year. Current market price for lemon grass
oil is US$66 per kg, allows this level of production
to 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 oneacre farm can produce 13,088 Kg of hydrosol per
year. Current market price for hydrosol is US$3.80
per kg, allowing this level of production to
generate (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 gross
J$4.8 million from a one-acre farm annually. High
quality commercial lemon grass oil is a viable
proposition for the small and medium sized
enterprises. Recommended acreage to support
viable economic extraction of oil is 5 acres.
Disclaimer
The information presented here is provided for guidance purposes only. Producers of herbal ingredients and of finished consumer
products that contain herbs are responsible for knowing, understanding, and conforming to all laws and regulations that are
relevant to their businesses, and for implementing practices that may go beyond those described here, as needed. This document
does 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 organic
agriculture or other specifically defined agricultural practices. In preparing this document, every effort was made to identify
current prices and applications. Guidelines may be revised periodically as new information and technology develop.
Tel. (876) 927-1771-4 Fax (876) 977-1840 [email protected] www.src-jamaica.org
Scientific Research Council©2009