Description
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is growing in popularity as functional food oil and the public awareness of it is increasing. It is expected that VCO will experience a dramatic growth in the market.
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is extracted from fresh coconut milk obtained from mature kernel (12 months old from pollination) of coconut by mechanical or natural means, with or without the application of heat, which does not lead to alteration of the nature of the oil. VCO can be consumed in its natural state without the need for further processing.
Hence, VCO does not undergo chemical refining, bleaching or deodorizing. Virgin coconut oil is colorless, free of sediment and has natural fresh coconut scent. It is free from rancid odor or taste. Virgin coconut oil consists mainly of medium chain fatty acids. The fatty acids in virgin coconut oil are distinct from animal fats which mainly consist of long chain saturated fatty acids.
Virgin coconut oil consists mainly of medium chain fatty acids. The most important medium chain fatty acid found in VCO is lauric acid. It constitutes 48 % of VCO. Lauric acid possess powerful anti-microbial properties capable of destroying disease causing bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites.
The demand for VCO is rapidly increasing in Nigeria. The fast – developing niche and high value markets for VCO as a food supplement, as a body moisturizer and a carrier oil for aromatherapy, as a hair conditioner etc. The national consumption of coconut oil is rising. Most of the supply of VCO into Nigerian market is from the Republic of Benin and Togo Republic.
The increasing demand can be associated to the awareness of the health benefits among consumers, hence the high prospect of commercial production and marketing of VCO in Nigeria.
This report examines the financial viability of establishing a virgin coconut oil processing plant in Nigeria.
The production capacity of the proposed plant is three (3) tons per day and would operate a shift of eight (8) hours each at 70% of installed capacity for three hundred (300) working day producing about one fourteen thousand (14,000) container of 500 ml container bi-monthly.