The Market
The wares and novelty items from coconut fruit residues can compete well with products made from other materials given their uniqueness and originality. Great export potential for the products can be seen from the reactions of customers/viewers of the products samples and exhibits.
The Product
Coco-trays, trophies, coco-clocks, jewelry boxes, “sungka”, are just some of the high-value added products that can be processed from coconut fruit residues using the “one-nut concept” of production.
The Technology
This technology employs the “mix and match” technique to design and fabricate wares and novelty items from a single piece of coconut. Researchers at PCA-ZRC have proven that:
– Following the one-nut concept, the whole or sliced coconut (w/o meat) can be combined with other materials and matched according to the size of nut, color and shape to produce desired end-product.
– Coconut fruit residues can be satisfactorily machined using simple tools and equipment and finished with suitable type of finishing materials like varnish, lacquer and polyurethane.
– The production cost of the finished products varies according to the size and shape of the product. Cost estimate has shown that a simple items cost to about 50-60 percent cheaper than other materials.
– The good parts of the fronds can be obtained in the rachis portion, they are denser hence can be used in components that require loads.
– Nails and glues were effective as fasteners; split rattan can be used to bind the sliced fronds to the wooden frame to enhance the indigenous look of the products.
– The raw materials must be properly dried and treated with “Timbor”, an anti-wood boring insect preservative
prior to finishing.
PROCESSING AND UTILIZATION OF COCONUT FRONDS (Palapa)
The Product
Different products such as plant boxes, chairs, tables, stools, cabinets and dividers can be successfully designed and fabricated using the rachis portion of coconut frond as the main component and using small pieces of wood as their skeletal structure.
The Technology
The technology deals with the production of furniture, novelty it ems, and other industrial and economic products from coconut fronds. PCA-ZRC researchers have found that:
– The average volume of woody materials that can be recovered from a single frond, after extracting the unusable parts, is about 23 % or equivalent to 0.24 bd. Ft.
– Coconut fronds can be machined and assembled effectively into a suitable product using common wood working tools. They can also be finished with any transparent top coat such as lacquer or varnish.
For more information please contact:
Mr. Gerardo A. Santos
Department Manager lll
PCA-Zamboanga Research Center
San Ramon, Zamboanga City
Tel/Fax: (062)-9921676
E-mail: pca_zrc@mozcom.com
