ACIAR CocoVeneer Objective 1.2: Coconut veneer value-chain proposal

Many palms in coconut plantations in the South Pacific Islands are of an older age and are only providing low nut yields. These palms and have been identified as senile and ready for replacement, or the conversion of the plantations to alternative land use. A rotary peeled coconut veneer product industry is being investigated as an option for the use of logs that will be extracted when senile palms are harvested. If this option proves attractive, it will be essential to determine the most efficient way to establish a coconut veneer product industry, so opportunities for providing access to finance, markets and technology can be realised.

A value-chain describes the full range of activities which are required to bring a product or service from conception, through the different phases of production, through to distribution and delivery to the final consumer. The assumption is made that each process step of the chain of activities gives the product more added value so all persons engaged in the chain benefit from their participation. A value-chain for the coconut rotary peeled veneer can be defined as the identified range of activities required to produce, market, trade and deliver this product to the final consumer. These activities include:

• The harvesting of the wood resource to be used in production of the product.

• The transportation of the resource to downstream processors.

• The physical transformation of the wood resource by one or more processors.

• The trades and services required to get the product to the final customer.

It is beyond the scope of this project objective to perform a comprehensive coconut veneer value chain analysis as many of the characteristics of the chain are yet to be confirmed. Therefore, this document presents a more concise Coconut Veneer Value-Chain Proposal. The proposal identifies opportunities for intervention by investors who have the influence to improve the income generation of those engaged in the coconut veneer chain and would benefit from the establishment of an industry.