Photo Source: Vanuatu Daily Post
The Minister responsible for Tourism, Trade, Commerce & Ni-Vanuatu Business (MTTCNVB), Matai Seremaiah on 14 November 2022 sealed three containers of organic crude coconut oil, containing a volume of 61 tonnes valued about VT4,790,230.
Vanuatu Basket is the factory behind the export of this crude oil. Their first export is for Melbourne, Australia, where it will be refined into pure oil and export to other world markets.
According to John Tonner, the owner of Vanuatu Basket, the sealing of the containers marks the extension of prime partnership between the private sector working with the government.
“This partnership is important as it seek ways to make it better for the farmers and for all of us,” said Mr. Tonner.
“We all can stand up together, we are a small community in the South Pacific, and just like the government continues to step in and help, the private sector is stepping in to help, we are trying to make it better for everyone.”
MTTCNVB Minister Seremaiah indicated he has spoken with the Ministry’s Director General (DG) to restructure the government’s subsidy, in relation to copra.
“Since our islands are scattered, this is one of our disadvantages in Vanuatu, and to make every island get rid of this advantage, we have to consider the shipping costs for Agriculture produces to reach factories in Port Vila and Luganville,” he said.
“I intend to push on the policy which is the further the farmer the more subsidy they get to cover the cost of shipping, and despite the distance and geographical location, they will get the same benefits as the ones close to the market.”
As the government continues to invest money into the productive sector, the copra industry is one of the trades that many people are benefiting from.
Recently, the price of copra dropped because the international market price dropped. As a result, the government intervened in the market to increase the price through a copra subsidy.
“The government helped the private sectors that operate under the coconut industry and other agro-industries through the Industry Development Fund and the Industry Support Fund in 2021,” said Director of the Department of Industry (DoI), Mr. Noel Kalo.
Vanuatu Basket is one of the companies that got support from the government, which they applied to buy some machinery, to come and enhance the production process of crude coconut oil and the production of copra mill.
At that time, the government also helped them with a bullet machine to turn copra mill and other local ingredients to make local stock feed.
The Vanuatu Basket not only exports coconut oil, but also enhances the organic quality of copra.
“The support from the Government to the Ministry of Trade made it possible for the trade industry to support Vanuatu Bureau of Standards (VBS). VBS works with local companies, and in this case with quality solutions, to engage and provide external auditor services to certify the facility for Vanuatu Basket to become an organic coconut oil facility,” Director Kalo explained.
“What we are witnessing today is a result of the partnership between the agencies and private sectors that the government had invested EDF11 funds in to support their operations, for them to sustain themselves.”
Vanuatu now has two Organic Coconut oil facilities — Vanuatu Basket, which is now certified, and Coconut Oil Production Santo Limited (COPSL), which is certified organic and is renewed every year.
Source: Vanuatu Daily Post
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