|
|
|
|
Copra
|
| |
|
| |
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. The name copra is derived from the Malayalam word kopra for dried coconut.
Coconut oil is traditionally extracted by grating or grinding copra, then boiling it in water. It was developed as a commercial product by merchants in the South Seas and South Asia in the 1860s. Nowadays, the process of coconut oil extraction is done by crushing copra to produce coconut oil (70%); the by-product is known as copra cake or copra meal (30%).
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Copra' Start a new discussion about 'Copra' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. The name copra is derived from the Malayalam word kopra for dried coconut.
Coconut oil is traditionally extracted by grating or grinding copra, then boiling it in water. It was developed as a commercial product by merchants in the South Seas and South Asia in the 1860s. Nowadays, the process of coconut oil extraction is done by crushing copra to produce coconut oil (70%); the by-product is known as copra cake or copra meal (30%). This 19th century copra trading inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's 1893 novella The Beach of Falesá.
Making copra—removing the shell, breaking up, drying—is usually done where the coconut palms grow. Today, large plantations with integrated operations have appeared, but in former years copra was collected by traders going from island to island and port to port in the Pacific Ocean.
In India, Tiptur in Tumkur District (Karnataka state) is famous for its copra. It is a major export of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Tuvalu, as well as several Caribbean countries.
Copra meal as an animal feed.
Coconut oil can be extracted using either mechanical expellers, or solvents (hexane). Mechanical expelled copra meal is of higher feeding value, because it contains typically 8-12% oil, whereas the solvent extracted copra meal contains on 2-4% oil. Premium quality copra meal can also contain 20-22% crude protein, and <20ppb aflatoxin.
Copra meal is used as fodder for horses and cattle. Its high oil levels and protein are fattening for stock. The unique benefits of copra meal for horses and cattle has been researched by Dr T.J. Kempton. The protein in copra meal has been heat treated and provides a source of high quality bypass protein for cattle, sheep and deer.
Copra meal for horses
High quality copra meal contains <12% non structural carbohydrate (NSC) which makes this product well suited for feeding to all horses that are prone to ulcers, insulin resistance, colic, tying up, and acidosis
Production
Copra production begins with the coconut plantations. Coconut trees are generally spaced 9 meters apart, allowing a density of 100-160 coconut trees per ha. A standard tree bears around 50-80 nuts a year, and average earnings in Vanuatu (1999) were USD 0.20 per kg (one kg equals 8 nuts). , allowing approximately $1,600 USD to be earned yearly for each planted hectare.
Trivia
In 2000, a player on the Spanish version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" won the €300,000 prize with the question "From which fruit is Copra obtained?". The player used his last lifeline calling his wife to tell her that he would win the prize because he knew the answer.
External links
|
| |
|
|
