Experts crack coconut value chain woes to up productivity

Stiff competition from established processors, exploitation by Tanzanian brokers, poor quality products, lack of business skills, markets, value addition technologies are among major obstacles, identified by farmers as well as small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) at the Kenyan Coast, that stand in the way of full exploitation of the coconut crop through value addition.

Experts crack coconut value chain woes to boost productivity.

Farmers and coconut product processors from Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa counties identified obstacles hindering them from full exploitation of the coconut crop through value addition during a three-day capacity building training organised by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) researchers. The varsity is currently implementing the 5-year Manufacturing Research Chair programme on technological innovations for quality and productivity in the coconut sector.

The project is supported by National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), and the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC), under the University Research Chairs programme.

The coconut stakeholders at the training held, welcomed the contribution of JKUAT researchers which they said, would greatly boost their capacity to tap the coconut resource available at the Coast for wealth creation and improvement of livelihoods.

According to the Research Chair, Prof Bernard Ikua, who presided over the official opening of the training, “the manufacturing research chair programme is emphasizing on innovations for the coconut value chain with specific focus on various coconut products.”

The products include food and beverages, energy and biomass, textile and fibers, cosmetics and beauty products, tooling and machinery to support the manufacture of products.

Prof Ikua said JKUAT is strongly focused on improving productivity, efficiency and to lower production costs. He further said researchers conducted a survey at the grassroots that identified various challenges farmers and SMEs were facing including knowledge gaps which called for urgent interventions.

Product Quality

Prof Ikua singled out the Hazina Waja, a women’s group SME that does virgin coconut oil, lotions, soap and shampoo, which initially had challenges in guaranteeing consistent product quality.

He noted, the group had made significant improvement following the interventions designed by the research stream leaders.

The leader for the social economics stream, Prof Willy Muturi put the training in perspective, urging SMEs to leverage on the training to improve their business enterprises acumen through standardisation, branding and marketing, occupational safety, record keeping, business finance, registration and planning.

Senior Officer at Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate, Teddy Yawa lauded JKUAT for the training that he explained, would “enhance the capacity of farmers and SMEs to produce competitive quality products for wider markets.”

Potential of coconut sector

He said the potential of the coconut sector that currently stands at Sh25 billion, was yet to be realized, with only Sh13 billion exploited. Mr Yawa called on county governments at the Coast to recognize the strategic position the coconut and cashew nut crops hold in unlocking the region’s economic liberation, sentiments echoed by the SMEs and farmers.

The coconut value added products include, but not limited to virgin coconut oil, honey, soaps, detergents, shampoos, lotions, an assortment of artifacts.

Challenges

A farmer, Bendera Amiri, specialising in coconut and cashew nuts seedlings for his livelihood, decries the use of poor quality seeds by most farmers as a big challenge to the exploitation of the coconut sector. This is receiving attention by AFA which is currently spearheading an initiative to supply quality coconut seedlings to farmers in the region.  

Hazina Waja Women Group from Kwale, said they started at low level of production before JKUAT researchers gave them a shot in the arm through invaluable expert support on business development, branding, marketing, quality production. Today, the group has up-scaled production and is slowly becoming a force to reckon with. 

Hamisi Mwakumanya, another beauty products processor and a beneficiary of JKUAT training admits, the skills he gained have been useful in mentoring other groups and individuals, citing Hazina Waja as one success story. However, he laments that without processing machines, even the quality of products is compromised.

Mwakumanya is not alone: Lucy Nasi Keya, of Lola Rako Women group, who produces natural virgin coconut oil, says, sometimes, the production process is cut short, ending up with a thick sauce instead of the desired virgin oil product.  Access to markets and poor equipment to upscale production remains her main concern and a hard nut to crack.

How the programme is helping

The concerns raised by many others dovetail with the research chair programme’s activities whose anticipated outputs include; equipment and tools for enhancing productivity and quality targeting diverse aspects within the coconut industry; safe value added food products for domestic and export markets, support to SMES within the coconut sub sector to become fully grown industries.

The programme is billed to strengthen the coconut value chain in Kenya, given that the coconut crop is grown widely along the Kenyan coastline. But how to tap into its value-chain, has been a hard nut to crack, thus denying the country substantial economic returns through job creation and export earnings.

That is the elephant in the room that JKUAT researchers must confront and help the coastal communities and the country reclaim the true value of the coconut crop.  

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