Copra (fromMalayalam: കൊപ്ര,Koppara/Kopra;Kannada: ಕೊಬ್ಬರಿ,Kobbari;Telugu: కొబ్బరి,Kobbari;Tamil: கொப்பரை,Kopparai;Sinhala: කොප්පරා,Koppara) is the dried, white flesh of thecoconut from whichcoconut oil is extracted.[1] Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from copra is rich inlauric acid, making it an important commodity in the preparation oflauryl alcohol, soaps, fatty acids, cosmetics, etc. and thus a lucrative product for many coconut-producing countries. The palatable oil cake, known as copra cake, obtained as a residue in the production of copra oil is used in animal feeds. The ground cake is known as coconut or copra meal.[2]
Copra has traditionally been grated and ground, then boiled in water to extractcoconut oil. It was used by Pacific island cultures and became a valuable commercial product for merchants in theSouth Seas andSouth Asia in the 1860s. Nowadays, coconut oil (70%) is extracted by crushing copra; the by-product is known as copra cake or copra meal (30%).
The coconut cake which remains after the oil is extracted is 18–25%protein, but contains so muchdietary fiber it cannot be eaten in large quantities by humans. Instead, it is normally fed toruminants.[5]
The production of copra – removing the shell, breaking it up, drying – is usually done where the coconut palms grow. Copra can be made by smoke drying,sun drying, orkiln drying. Hybrid solar drying systems can also be used for a continuous drying process. In a hybrid solar drying system, solar energy is utilized during daylight and energy from burningbiomass is used when sunlight is not sufficient or during night time.[6] Sun drying requires little more than racks and sufficient sunlight. Halved nuts are drained of water, and left with the meat facing the sky; they can be washed to removemold-creating contaminants. After two days the meat can be removed from the shell with ease, and the drying process is complete after three to five more days (up to seven in total). Sun drying is often combined with kiln drying, eight hours of exposure to sunlight means the time spent in a kiln can be reduced by a day and the hot air the shells are exposed to in the kiln is more easily able to remove the remaining moisture. This process can also be done in reverse order: partially drying the copra in the kiln, and finishing the process with sunlight. Starting with sun drying requires careful inspection to avoid contamination with mold while starting with kiln-drying can harden the meat and prevent it from drying out completely in the sun.
In India, small but whole coconuts can be dried over the course of eight months to a year, and the meat inside removed and sold as a whole ball. Meat prepared in this fashion is sweet, soft, oily and is cream-coloured instead of being white. Coconut meat can be dried using direct heat and smoke from a fire, using simple racks to suspend the coconut over the fire. The smoke residue can help preserve the half-dried meat but the process overall suffers from unpredictable results and the risk of fires.[7]
While there are some largeplantations with integrated operations, copra remains primarily asmallholder crop. In former years copra was collected by traders going from island to island and port to port in thePacific Ocean but South Pacific production is now much diminished, with the exception ofPapua New Guinea, theSolomon Islands andVanuatu.[8]
Copra production begins on coconut plantations. Coconut trees are generally spaced 9 m (30 ft) apart, allowing a density of 100–160 coconut trees per hectare. A standard tree bears around 50–80 nuts a year, and average earnings in Vanuatu (1999) wereUS$0.20 per kg (one kg equals 8 nuts)—so a farmer could earn approximately US$120 to US$320 yearly for each planted hectare. Copra has since more than doubled in price, and was quoted at US$540 per ton in the Philippines on aCIF Rotterdam basis (US$0.54 per kg) by theFinancial Times on 9 November 2012.
In 2017 the value of global exports of copra was $145-146 Million. The largest exporter wasPapua New Guinea with 35% of the global total, followed byIndonesia (20%),Solomon Islands (13%) andVanuatu (12%). The largest importer of copra is thePhilippines, which imports $93.4 Million or 64% of the global total.[8] A very large number of small farmers and tree owners produce copra, which is a vital part of their income.
Copra is highly susceptible to the growth of molds and their production ofaflatoxins if not dried properly. Aflatoxins can be highly toxic, and are among the most potent known naturalcarcinogens, particularly affecting the liver.[9] Aflatoxins in copra cake, fed to animals, can be passed on tomilk or meat from livestock, leading to human illnesses.[10][11]
Copra meal is used asfodder for horses and cattle. Its high oil and protein levels are fattening for stock.[12][13] The protein in copra meal has been heat treated and provides a source of high-quality protein for cattle, sheep and deer, because it does not break down in therumen.
Coconut oil can be extracted using either mechanical expellers or solvents (hexane). Mechanically expelled copra meal is of higher feeding value, because it contains typically 8–12% oil, whereas the solvent-extracted copra meal contains only 2–4% oil. Premium quality copra meal can also contain 20–22% crude protein, and < 20ppbaflatoxin.[14]
High-quality copra meal contains < 12% non-structural carbohydrate (NSC),[15] which makes it well suited for feeding to horses that are prone toulcers,insulin resistance,colic,tying up, andacidosis.[16]
