What is Copra and How is it made from coconut
What is copra?
Copra is coconut meat that is processed by drying. Products that can be produced from copra, one of which is coconut oil. The copra that is ready to be processed is then extracted to produce oil.
The basic ingredient for making copra is coconut which is about 300 days old. The minimum weight required is 3-4 kg per fruit. Copra processed products can be used as coconut oil which has many benefits. to make copra into a quality product, there are various techniques. Namely drying by exposure to sunlight, drying by smoking which is carried out over a fire, drying using indirect heat, and drying with a plastic hood.
Copra is obtained by first removing the husk of the coconut, then break it in pieces and let the flesh dry. The drying of the copra is mostly done in the same area where the coconuts are cultivated. Copra is the dried flesh of coconuts. Every adult coconut palm bears 50-75 nuts that can be harvested, split with machetes and left to dry in the sun. The copra is then scraped out of the husk and gets to dry further on racks. Finally, it is packed in jute bags and transported to a processing facility.
Drying with the Help of Sunlight
The weather of each region is not the same, as well as to predict the weather. For that, drying with this technique must be patient, especially if it enters the rainy season. Instead of drying the coconuts, the rain comes suddenly and it will be difficult to shade a lot of coconuts.
The drying process when the weather is sunny only takes 2 days. After that, the coconut meat can be prayed. It takes a second stage of drying which takes 3-5 days to produce quality copra. If the weather is sunny, drying within 8 hours can reduce the water content in coconut up to 1/3 of the total water content.
Drying with the help of sunlight has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it saves production costs. Because using natural ways by utilizing natural resources. It does not require tools or materials to dry coconut. By arranging on a concrete floor or using bamboo shelves, the copra produced will be maximized. Although it takes a very long time to produce quality copra.
The disadvantages of this drying technique are related to the weather. In addition to the burden of lifting coconuts when it rains, the drawback is that the drying process will take longer. Not only that, if the copra is not dry but the weather is not good, the potential for mushrooms to grow will be greater
Drying Technique Using Artificial Heat
This drying technique uses the help of machine operation. So you need a machine to dry the coconuts. The drying process can be carried out indoors. This process is divided into 2 types. Drying by direct method and drying with heat indirectly.
Drying directly will come into contact with gases from the combustion process. The burning that occurs can also be called smoke-dried copra which has a characteristic odor from burning. And the skin color is brownish white. The fuel for drying coconut is dried shell.
The second type of artificial heat drying is indirect drying. Copra drying will not come into direct contact with the gases from the combustion process. The system is drying in a room with heating pipes. How to dry copra with this technique will require a very large capital. So it will affect the cost of production.
The artificial heat drying technique has an indirect advantage. Namely, the color of the resulting copra will be better. Oil from copra with this drying technique will have a quality aroma and taste. If copra is stored for a long period it will also not produce a rancid odor. Storage time in this case is approximately 8 months. Dried copra will be packaged and then cooled, and ready to be marketed for all kinds of purposes. Mostly, copra is used as a raw material for making oil.
What is Copra used for?
The following are just some of the common uses of copra:
Coconut oil is commonly used in baking and cooking
Coconut oil is a favourite ingredient in beauty products for its moisture and texture
The coconut cake produced by making copra is commonly used as livestock food
Coconut scent is widely used in products such as candles and soaps
Coconut oil is an edible fat comparable to butter or margarine
Across Asia, especially in India, a whole coconut, sometimes copra slices, are also used for religious purposes. All religious ceremonies in Hinduism begin with the proposal of whole coconut, copra or the coconut water to the deity Ganesha, who helps in the successful completion of any work. Any serious business should begin with the ceremony of breaking a coconut. Coconut’s firm copra and its thick outer layer are symbols of hard work and the concomitant success. The sacrificial meanings of coconut copra in ancient history ascend to the Hindu Sage Vishvamitra, who first introduced the nut to the pre-historic people as a means to improve eyesight and general health.
Global Market
Copra, more specifically the coconut oil extracted from copra, has a global market. In 2002, 1822 million metric tons of coconut oil were exported from copra producing nations of the world. The small Pacific Islands often suffer dominance by the large-scale producers of copra like Philippines, Indonesia, and others. The European Union helps these isolated island countries by implementing a preferential tariff system, which boosts exports from these countries. Coconut oil exports are also facing intense competition from other, cheaper plant oil sources like the palm oil. Coconut farmers across the world are thus seeking for intervention on the part of their governments to receive subsidies in the price coconut oil to offer the product at more lucrative prices in the world market. There is also a need of technological improvements in the copra plantations to improve copra yields.
The world’s largest importers of coconut oil include the European Union, the United States, Malaysia, China, and Korea. In 2018, the European Union alone imported 475,000 metric tons of coconut oil. The popularity of this flexible substance does not seem to show any signs of slowing down anytime soon.
