Strong demand for virgin coconut oil in Fiji puts pressure on producers Rabi Island

[Stacey King]

Radio NZ International Posted at 23:13 on 28 February, 2011 UTC

An increase in demand for virgin coconut oil from Fiji’s Rabi Island is putting pressure on the producers. The project was launched in October last year and is operated by about 80 women from the Banaban Women’s group in Rabi. The President of the group, Terikano Takesau who is spearheading the project says growing popularity from across Fiji, has led to increased pressure to meet demands. She says there is a strong need for a factory to be established to speed up the production process as women are currently producing the oil and by-products by hand from their own homes. “Last week I attended the corporate philanthropy seminar in Labasa.And during the presentation I also proposed for the virgin coconut oil factory to be set up on the island in order to sustain that project of mine that I was doing.” Terikano Takesau says the project requires about 13 thousand US dollars worth of funding in order to establish a factory.

 

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