Turning green to gold
SOUTH-EAST Asian countries like Indonesia and Thailand are known for being the largest coconut producers in the world.
In these countries, young coconuts are husked, polished, anti-oxidised, pierced at the top, logo marked or branded, shrinkwrapped and sold at the local supermarkets or exported to overseas markets.
Replicating that in Fiji to help locals earn money is what Munesh Prasad, Gateway Technology Solutions PTE Ltd managing director, wants to do.
In fact, construction of a warehouse and processing factory has already started at his property in Voivoi, Nadi, to be supported further by the grant he received this week from the Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises’ 2023-2024 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) grant program.
“How the idea came in was basically during my trip to Thailand. That was five years ago. From there, I saw how they processed it. In 2022, when the travel ban was lifted, I went to Melbourne and I saw the same product sold there and the idea just came back again,” Mr Prasad told
“From 2022, for one year, we have been testing coconuts from all over Viti Levu, and also the islands, and including Seaqaqa. We’ll buy the coconuts from the villages, basically. We buy from them at a rate. We bring it over to our warehouse, our processing plant for processing.”
Registered as Cocosip, the business will be based in Voivoi, Nadi.
“Currently we have spent from somewhere around $58,000 and we are actually building a warehouse for this, and it’s located in Voivoi industrial area, that’s next to the Nadi Airport.
“We have already imported the machine and the second phase of the trial is starting from next month, early March, and we plan to go into full production by end of April.
“We have two phases of the product. The first phase of the product is generally green coconuts. The first machine basically peels it and makes it into a shape. The second one does the custom branding desired by the client. It will be custom branded for the hotels, for wedding functions, etc. And then we put the Styrofoam.
“The last process is we shrink wrap it for longer life.”
He said discussions are already underway with Marriot Group of Hotels in Fiji, New World Supermarket and Extra Supermarket but samples would need to be provided before decisions were made.
Mr Prasad said they will sell at the same price that roadside coconut ‘bu’ sellers use “so that people don’t try to neglect them”.
“Currently, we are discussing with the Marriot Group. It’s positive, but at the same time everyone wants to see the final product before they can make a decision.
“In going into the supermarkets, our target price has to be the same as the price currently being sold on the roadside in Nadi. We don’t want to be expensive for them. That’s the price we have negotiated with the supermarkets.
“We are looking at somewhere between $2.80 to $3 per coconut.
Currently in Nadi, on the roadsides, it’s $3. The processed one, basically you can keep it longer, it’s neat, you can keep it in a freezer, probably and if you’re getting the same price, then why not.
“We are not cutting into them, because we won’t be selling on the road sides. We’ll be selling in the supermarkets and the hotels. The reason we want to be on par with their prices was so that people don’t try to neglect them, and people don’t try to neglect us.
“Basically, what we are doing is we will be processing young coconut and selling it to the local markets, including the hotels, supermarkets, and also special events like high-end weddings, amongst other events.”
While actual production may begin in April, the business will begin disseminating samples by the end of this month in order to acquire a client base.
“The machines are here and in two to three weeks, we’ll start with the samples and we’ll be dishing them out. Once we have our client base, then we’ll go into full production.
“The capacity (of machines) is 1000 per day but once we are in operational, our target is to have 1000 per week. Then, we’ll get slight increases as when the demand increases. The trials will start from end of this month, and for actual production, we are looking at end of April.”
Mr Prasad said the aim of his business was not so much to make profit, but rather to help those in the villages.
“Even in my presentation, I did mention it to them (Ministry). They asked me how you plan on making money at such a low cost. I told them I’m not into making money for this. My main target is because I have seen coconuts going to waste in villages and if they can supply it to us, I mean every village we can all make money out of it. It will be a winwin situation.”
Mr Prasad said in order to gain in the market, one needed “to think out of the box and this was something we are doing the first in Fiji, but this is not something new in the world”.
“It’s always been there, it’s just that we have incorporated how we can use it here.”