PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 9:25 PM by Luigi

Many by-products from coconut oil

BY BAEAU TAIPAPUA, The National

New Guinea's coconut industry badly needs a marketing infrastructure with a network of entrepreneurs to bring the farmers' produce to the market as finished goods."The industry needs to identify potential entrepreneurs who with training and finance can develop a marketing infrastructure that works with economies of scale to benefit the growers," said Dennis Hill, managing director of Tropic Frond Oils Ltd at Kerevat.

Speaking on "Downstream processing and marketing of coconut products" at the coconut seminar in Port Moresby, Mr Hill said if the industry is serious about downstream processing of its coconuts, "then we have to be able to produce products to a standard that is equal or superior to available products in the market, not only of the product itself, but its packaging, presentation and marketing and advertising".

Tropic Frond Oils is taking steps to increase production of virgin oil. "We believe there is a market out there but the value adding may well be in producing an edible product in its final retail packaged form."The real potential however will not be in virgin coconut oil but in certified organic virgin coconut oil," he said.Tropic Fronds plant includes three-tonne per day copra oil mill and a soap making plant with a capacity of five-tonne per day.

"Needless to say we do not operate these plants at full capacity. We started the company 11 years ago with the objective of exploring commercial opportunities for the downstream processing of copra.""Most people would be familiar with the "Curls" range of skin and hair care products, which are sold throughout PNG and with some exports to Australia and the Solomon Islands.""We took a traditional product, improved upon it, packaged it, branded it, advertised it, and made it a relevant accessory for the 21st century," Mt Hill said.

"We are proud to have brought an ancient custom into the mainstream of urban life in PNG. Our 'Vulcan soap' would not be well known here in Port Moresby ... in fact anywhere outside the New Guinea Islands region, and while it is an excellent product when we talk about downstream processing, we must remember that there are other competing products in the market," he said.



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DIVA-GIS	Tuesday, June 07, 2005 Posted 9:25 PM by Luigi Many by-products from coconut oil BY BAEAU TAIPAPUA, The National New Guinea's coconut industry badly needs a marketing infrastructure with a network of entrepreneurs to bring the farmers' produce to the market as finished goods."The industry needs to identify potential entrepreneurs who with training and finance can develop a marketing infrastructure that works with economies of scale to benefit the growers," said Dennis Hill, managing director of Tropic Frond Oils Ltd at Kerevat. Speaking on "Downstream processing and marketing of coconut products" at the coconut seminar in Port Moresby, Mr Hill said if the industry is serious about downstream processing of its coconuts, "then we have to be able to produce products to a standard that is equal or superior to available products in the market, not only of the product itself, but its packaging, presentation and marketing and advertising". Tropic Frond Oils is taking steps to increase production of virgin oil. "We believe there is a market out there but the value adding may well be in producing an edible product in its final retail packaged form."The real potential however will not be in virgin coconut oil but in certified organic virgin coconut oil," he said.Tropic Fronds plant includes three-tonne per day copra oil mill and a soap making plant with a capacity of five-tonne per day. "Needless to say we do not operate these plants at full capacity. We started the company 11 years ago with the objective of exploring commercial opportunities for the downstream processing of copra.""Most people would be familiar with the "Curls" range of skin and hair care products, which are sold throughout PNG and with some exports to Australia and the Solomon Islands.""We took a traditional product, improved upon it, packaged it, branded it, advertised it, and made it a relevant accessory for the 21st century," Mt Hill said. "We are proud to have brought an ancient custom into the mainstream of urban life in PNG. Our 'Vulcan soap' would not be well known here in Port Moresby ... in fact anywhere outside the New Guinea Islands region, and while it is an excellent product when we talk about downstream processing, we must remember that there are other competing products in the market," he said. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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