Thursday 25 April 2019

How To Start Coconut Oil Production In Nigeria

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com – 08093016914

The coconut oil production business is largely promoted as one of the most profitable small-scale production businesses any entrepreneur can venture into in Nigeria, since the producer doesn’t undergo the common risks and the high cost of production associated with other types of businesses.
Coconut oil is majorly produced in countries like India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. But in countries like Nigeria, the coconut oil market is still in its infancy but experiencing a steady growth.
There has been an exponential build-up in the demand for coconut oil in Nigeria since the year 2006, because of its widespread health benefits. This constant-growing demand has attracted a lot of Nigerian producers to quickly get involved in the sector, since great-sales potentials abound in its production.
According to a statista report, in 2015/16 the global export volume of coconut oil amounted to 3.32 million metric tons, while In 2017/18 the global production volume of coconut oil was forecasted to amount to about 3.44 million metric tons, whereas Nigeria alone was estimated to have produced approximately 246,000 metric tons of coconut oil in 2017 alone. This figure shows that the production in line with the demand for coconut oil has grown steadily over the years, with Nigeria experiencing leaps in the worldwide ranking of coconut oil producers.


What Is The Coconut Oil Production About?
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat (copra) of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. It has various applications, and because of its high saturated fat content, is slow to oxidize, and thus, resistant to rancidity, causing it to last up to six months at 24 °C (75 °F) without experiencing any form of spoilage.
Business Opportunities in Coconut Oil Production around the World
From soap manufacturing to hair care, and much more, the opportunities and diversity potential of any Coconut oil production business remains vast.

Here are some business opportunities in the Coconut oil production business in many places around the world including Nigeria or Africa as a continent:

1). Soap Manufacturing:
Coconut oil can be an important base ingredient for the manufacture of soap. It is more soluble in hard water and salt water than other soaps allowing it to lather more easily. A basic coconut oil soap is clear when melted and a bright white when hardened and can be used as a skin moisturizer. Topically, coconut oil is important for the skin, it’s great for soothing dryness and evening irritation from rashes. It is also good for fighting wrinkles and signs of ageing. Some skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema can be taken treated with coconut oil, along with simple activities like removing makeup in the eye without the use of chemicals.
The health benefits of coconut oil, causes a lot of people to go in search coconut-oil based soaps, in the process, making it a lucrative business to venture into.

2). Hair care Manufacturing:
Coconut oil is rich in antioxidants and has antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. When used on human hair, it improves the scalp health, fights various infections and fungus, and supports general hair growth, all while adding a beautiful shine without the common harmful chemicals.
It is useful to the hair for treating dandruff, hair growth, hair styling, and also for lice prevention and treatment.
High-quality hair creams made with coconut oil are always in high demand. You can take advantage of the market’s preference for this and manufacture slightly low priced, but good quality oil to gain a quick market acceptance.

Types of Coconut Oil (VCO)

1).
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO):
This type of coconut is made from fresh coconut meat (copra). It contains 10 fatty acids that enhance human immunity and protects people against germs throughout the day.
The VCO is usually extracted from freshly grated coconut meat (copra) through mechanical means which are free from high heat and chemical to preserve its full nutritional values. It’s best commonly used in cooking or even as dressing in a salad. You can also eat it on its own or apply to your skin to keep it soft and moisturized.
Virgin coconut oil is abundant in minerals, vitamins, and anti-oxidants, and is considered the purest type of coconut oil.

2). RBD Coconut Oil – Refined bleached and de-odorized:
The RBD coconut oil is colourless, tasteless and odorless. And since it is a refined coconut oil, it has more nutritional values than the virgin coconut oil, since the VCO is the oil coconut oil that is not refined.
They are extracted from copra and then heat and chemical solvents (hexane) are applied to process the oil to remove all forms of impurities, taste and smell.
There are also some better quality RBD coconut oils available where the manufacturer cold-presses to extract the oil from dried coconut flakes without the use of chemical solvents, and then apply a steam process to bleach and deodorize the oil.

3). Pure Coconut Oil (PCO):
The pure coconut oil (PCO) is often yellowish or even brownish in colour. They are usually labeled as premium quality or 100% pure edible oil, which in fact, is of inferior quality. The discoloration and stickiness of the oil is a great feature that says it all.
It is made in a fairly unhygienic condition where the workers expose the coconut meat to molds when they sun-dry, kiln-dry, or smoke-dry the coconut meat in an open space. They then extract the oil from the mouldy copra (i.e. dried coconut meat) and use cheap filtration techniques to refine the oil.
The PCO has a short shelf-life of usually 6 months to 1 year, and turns rancid easily due to its poorly-manufactured condition.

4). Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO):
The fractionated coconut oil (FCO) is simply a fraction of the entire oil. After the oil is extracted, it undergoes hydrolysis by adding water to the oil. After hydrolysis, it further undergoes fractional distillation, which means that the oil is separated into different fractions based on their properties. In the case of the fractionated coconut oil, the fraction that is collected is the one that has medium chain triglycerides.

Fractionated coconut oil has a longer shelf life than the Virgin Coconut Oil and does not smell of coconuts at all. The several uses of the FCO include:
 As a super-fatting oil in soaps.
 In skin-care lotions.
 In massage oil blends (famous for not staining the sheets).
 As a carrier oil for essential oils, vitamins, and actives.
 In medicines due its antiseptic and disinfectant properties.

Original Post by: Stan Edom
Website: startuptipsdaily.com/coconut-oil-production-nigeria-or-africa/

No comments:

Post a Comment

Your First Job In Solar? Let's Get You Started. Apply Here.

  The Energy Talent Company is a talent accelerator that builds talents for reputable solar energy organisations and projects across the c...