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MAKING ICE CREAM AND ELECTRICITY FROM COCONUTS

Thiruvambadi Marketing Society, Kozhikode, is proving why coconut is considered a wish-fulfilling tree: they have been able to produce and market innovative coconut-based products, both in India and abroad.

The Society under the dynamic leadership of M.J.Zacharias Manimalatharappil has been able to produce ice cream, coconut honey, biogas, electricity, activated carbon, shell oil and a host of other products from coconuts.

The Society started its venture in 1996 by installing a drier to convert 20000 coconuts into copra per day.  The problem of disposing coconut water led to the setting up of a biogas plant.  The electricity from the plant is used to run 2 nos. of 1.5 hp motors for 8 hours for drying coconuts.  The nitrogen-rich water from the plant is used by farmers for irrigation.

Simultaneously the Society hit upon the idea of producing coconut honey, which is made by reducing the water content of coconut water to 10%.  The Society received order from European Union for this item.

By burning the shell, they produce activated carbon, which has application in controlling pollution.  Enquiry for this item has come from Germany.  Shell oil, which is a byproduct obtained while burning the shell, has demand as paint for submarines and as a pesticide.

The Society is trying to promote ice cream made from tender coconut.  The experiments have shown that tasty coconut ice cream can be made at 30% cost of regular ice creams.

The new venture of the Society is coconut gel, which is got by fermenting coconut water.  The water after fermenting can be converted into vinegar.  For the last 2 years they have been marketing their own branded coconut oil.

Today farmers and scientists from Maharashtra and Gujarat come to study the products of the Society.

Courtesy: K.F.George (text), Leen Thobias (photo), Malayala Manorama, January 13, 2002

Contributed by: Administrator

"God builds the nest of the blind bird."