Transcript
Ms Mapusua says one of the constraints often faced in the Pacific is the lack of capital to invest in equipment, and this is why they haven't been diversifying the industry.
"There's a lot that can be done for the coconut industry in the Pacific (at the moment). It's been a very important industry. Provides livelihoods to a majority of Pacific islanders, particularly those in the outer islands. The industry has some real needs around diversifying its product base. We've traditionally done copra oil. We would love to see more diversity of end products - using not only the oil products but also other parts of the coconut. As far as progress over the last 12 months, we've made significant efforts towards developing seed systems to try and reinforce the replanting across the region. And we see that being undertaken both by government and private sector, which is really a new thing for us in the Pacific to have the private sector engaged in that way."
New Zealand businessman Chris Nathan, who plans to build five extraction plants around the region, says he hopes to make use of the whole coconut .
"We hope to be able to use the whole coconut. The more products we can make, the more we can pay for the coconuts.And let's not stop there. If you start growing things under coconuts, like vanilla or organic turmeric or ginger. These are big income. And it's going to require a lot more people rather than just the coconut farmers to support that industry."
Karen Mapusua welcomed contributions from the private sector saying foreign investment is critical to the industry as it plays an important role in working with the communities.
"It must be about building equitable relationships with our communities, as the landowners and the resource owners are the true beneficiaries of the work that does happen."
Chris Nathan says the first facility will be built outside Savusavu in Fiji.
"At full production, it will have about 70 staff. From administration to people who are unloading coconuts or doing inspections on quality control and so on. It is reasonably automated, but we are looking at putting through 150,000 coconuts a day. The logistics' quite large.The spin off for families is that 30-odd thousand families that will be supplying to our facility and benefiting them with this higher income - has to be good."
Mr Nathan says the Fiji plant will cost Cocavo Ltd, of which he is a director, 12.3 million US dollars.
Cocavo has a contract to provide US retail giant Walmart with blends of extra virgin coconut oil and avocado oil worth 30 million US dollars a year.
This is Christine Rovoi, Noaia!
