A mechanical dryer is capable of producing high-grade white copra for quality coconut oil production at any weather condition. This machine is solar-powered, semi-automated, and with pre-set temperature and relative humidity.
This was designed and developed by the Philippine Coconut Authority-Zamboanga Research Center (PCA-ZRC) through the funding support of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
According to PCA-ZRC project leader Engr. Clifford M. Tagactac, the dryer’s capacity is 3,000 pieces of split coconuts. Functional and performance test results showed that 71.98% of the coconuts were dried with a final average moisture content of 7% to 10% after a 24-hour drying time.
Tagactac further reported that at 40% to 50% relative humidity and 40-degree Celsius temperature, the dried copra remained translucent without molds three days after the copra was taken out from the storage chamber. White copra is a high-grade copra and can be used to produce white coconut oil.
Tagactac and the members of his team recommended processing of white copra into coconut oil and copra meal, which is more profitable than directly selling white copra. The technology can further be enhanced to add more technical and cost-efficiency to the existing design.