ABSTRACT
Immense profits were to be made from palm oil in the post-war world for anyone who could start up production quickly enough. Thanks to their pre-war plantings and to the efforts of men like Asger Laursen, Olof Grut and Axel Lindquist, United Plantations and Bernam Oil Palms had moved swiftly ahead in the race to exploit new market opportunities; and for the first time since the oil palm adventure began, the two companies started to earn more money than their directors knew what to do with. The boards were finally able to reward the faith of their longsuffering shareholders and employees and to consider a wide range of fresh investment opportunities. The oil palm was at last proving itself to be a golden crop.
