The newly established coconut crushing mill in Mangakiki, West Guadalcanal will venture into bio fuel production soon.
This was stated during the opening of the new community crushing mill over the week.
Operation manager of the Solomon Tropical Product (SPT) Bevan Vollrath said as production continues to increase the community will go into small bio-fuel production.
“It will be a positive start for people in the community as this new crushing mill will also produce crude oil where it can be used as fuel but in a small quantity.
He said farmers must produce high quantity of copra to cater for the daily demand of the crushing mill.
“The crushing mill extracts oil from more than 24 bags every day to process oil, soap and bio fuel.
Mr Vollrath said with high demand of the products in the domestic market it is important for farmers to make use of the crushing mill and supply more copra.
He assured people of west Guadalcanal that Solomon Tropical Product will continue to work together with them in promoting local coconut products.
Meanwhile he encouraged farmers and the communities to work together to increase production.
Currently the Mangakiki coconut crushing is being powered by a crushing mill system (generator).
A local coconut farmer in Mangakiki Francis Kapini described the new coconut crushing mill as a blessing to the farmers.
He said with such development they expect to use electricity in the community and get an income from sale their copra straight to the crushing mill.
Chairman of the crushing mill project committee Peter Waitasi said the committee is planning to install power supply to the community with less charge to the houses.
“Supplying power to most of the homes in the community is part of the project.”
The project was supported by the South Pacific Secretariate (SPC) under the Increase Agriculture Commodities Trade (IACT) program funded by European Union through the support of Solomon Tropical Product.
