A baseline survey conducted by the Coconut Waste Project (COWAP) shows that there is a growing market for coconut peat (mulch) growing medium in Ghana, Chief Executive of CocoBenz, Bender Owusu Bediako Antwi has said.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times after the launch of the 2nd International Coconut Festival, 2022, Mr Antwi, an advocate for youth in the coconut value chain, stated, “Coconut peat, for example, has been proven to serve many purposes such as nursing seedlings, bedding plants, planters, gardens, greenhouse farming and large-scale tree planting”.
The survey by COWAP indicates that key end-users of coconut waste value-added products included market actors in the mining sector, hospitality sector, and the agricultural/forestry sector.
Antwi mentioned in the interview that, “these actors consist of medium to large scale companies that rely on coconut waste value-added products in their line of activities. The hospitality industry serves as a market for coconut value-added products such as coconut-waste paper bags and charcoal briquettes.
Many companies in the hospitality industry, including shops, malls and restaurants, rely mostly on the use of paper bags for packaging their products. This is their contribution to promoting a healthy and green environment.”
He reiterated that the coconut husk has significant value addition and the Ghanaian economy could derive many benefits from it which can help reduce poverty and promote the prosperity of the country.
He called for more young more people to develop an interest in the sector as coconut producers, agriculture experts, coconut processors and market owners, as this will be a good source of employment and help eradicate hunger and poverty.
Antwi added that “notwithstanding how lucrative the sale of the fresh coconut water and recycling of the husks, the coconut oil business is a profitable business. Coconut oil market finds applications in food, household detergents, metal working fluids, paints and coatings, soaps, textile chemicals, plastic industry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industry.”
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