Coconut Millers Introduces New Products In The Fijian Market

Fiji Coconut Millers Pte Limited has in­troduced high value coconut products like Virgin Coconut Oil and Coconut Cooking Oil with consistent quality.

The business is growing as the new and existing markets continue to buy their prod­ucts.

Coconut Millers has also introduced a new product in Market, i.e. Fiji Coconut Water in March 2022 and were working on increasing the product reach and also increasing the shelf-life of the product.

Company general manager, John Deo said their coconut chips slicing machine had ar­rived and they should have another new Product in market – Coconut Chips by June.

“We have also mechanised majority of our value chain of operations – Hot Air Copra Drying, automated milling machines, filter­ing, and packing,” he added.

Mr Deo said they even bought raw materials from farm gate to ensure continuous supply of raw materials with cash payment to farm­ers for their produce.

“We are also providing free coconut seed­lings both in Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture, as part of Coconut Planting Program,” he said.

He said: “Since inception, we were only producing Crude Coconut Oil (Copra Oil). In view of Wholenut Processing Concept where­by all parts of coconuts can be used to make products, Product Diversification started from 2016.

“We started with Virgin Coconut Oil in 2016, Coconut Cooking Oil in 2019 and Coconut Wa­ter in 2022, with Feasibility study in progress on Coconut Coir, in partnership with Fiji High Commission India & Coir Board – Gov­ernment of India.

“We have an established workforce of 25 with 15 contracted copra cutters from nearby communities including women and youths.”

He said their coconut oil are available in all major supermarkets in Fiji.

“We have a crushing capacity of 12,000T per annum, with current supply we process over 2,500T,” Mr Deo said.

He also said they were increasing the source of raw materials all over Fiji including mari­time islands.

“With the efforts of continuous replanting of coconuts and expanding the coconut plant­ing to Viti Levu, we expect production of raw material and finished goods to increase in few years,” he said.

“We are managing 4 bio fuels Mill on the maritime islands – Lakeba, Cicia, Gau and Rabi and buying and processing Copra on the island – generating island activities.”

He said it was really important to support the local Fiji made products and businesses, as each dollar spent on Fijian made product helped in the respective industry growth and growth of farmers and economy.

“The Fijian made is a very re-known brand and it assist us in accessing overseas markets easier with premium price.”

Fiji Coconut Millers Pte Limited was estab­lished in 1985 by the Coconut Board of Fiji whereby currently the Fiji government holds 98.46 per cent shareholder, 2 per cent Coconut Farmers.

The key operations of the mill is to pur­chase raw materials from farmers which are dried copra, raw copra, whole coconuts all over Fiji.