Coconut Crazy

Mark Bowker (Photo: Tiffany Carroll)

Mark Bowker of Vanuatu Virgin Coconut Oil (VVCO) says the machine, designed by his grandfather, will be able to extract five tons of virgin coconut oil a day, something that would normally take at least six days. He says it will also result in consistently higher quality oil.

"Current copra drying methods are neither hygienic nor quality controlled, meaning the buyer cannot be assured of the grade of oil every time," he says.

The Bowker oil extraction process is totally mechanized and self-sufficient. The stainless steel machine is capable of processing large quantities of coconuts mechanically, as opposed to the current practice of cutting and digging out the meat by hand.

Virgin coconut oil is a lucrative commodity, with a market value hovering between $US8,500 and $US16,000 a ton. VVCO is offering six vatu per whole nut to coconut producers, averaging 30,000 vatu (US$268) per ton.

"That's way above market price and involves very little work for the farmer," Bowker says.

VVCO's product is destined for the health, beauty and pharmaceutical markets. The oil is extracted within one hour of the fresh nut being cut, eliminating the risk of bacteria developing during the handling process and reducing the quality of the oil. Whilst there are several virgin coconut oil businesses around the Pacific, most are producing less than 100 liters of oil a day.

"The process by which VVCO produces virgin coconut oil is not done anywhere else in the world and the fact the technology is patented worldwide means this will be good for Vanuatu as nobody can copy or replicate this process globally," Bowker says.

Bowker says Vanuatu's coconut industry is in urgent need of help and VVCO is committed to opening new export markets. "The (Vanuatu) farmer is already questioning his future in cutting and providing copra due to the high running costs. Some farmers are already changing their focus and looking for other options opposed to replanting a new generation of coconut trees."

Bowker is confident of producing an initial 2.5 tons of oil every eight hours. Vanuatu Virgin Coconut Oil eventually hopes to rely on just a few major plantation owners to supply coconuts. A large percentage of outer islanders are employed as copra cutters in Vanuatu. Many work for the larger plantations that VVCO is hoping will become suppliers of nuts.

If the Bowker process is successful, those workers could be out of jobs since there would be no need to crack the nuts and strip out the meat. However, the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority, the government body that approves all foreign investment in the country, is behind the Bowker's $A1.3 million (US$987,285) venture, giving approval for the business to operate and assisting with import tax breaks for the company.

"I hope farmers will see the future the way we do, and we'll all do well," Bowker says.