Copra

The coconut cake which remains after the oil is extracted is 18–25% protein, but contains so much dietary fiber it cannot be eaten in large quantities by humans.

Halved nuts are drained of water, and left with the meat facing the sky; they can be washed to remove mold-creating contaminants.

In India, small but whole coconuts can be dried over the course of eight months to a year, and the meat inside removed and sold as a whole ball.

The smoke residue can help preserve the half-dried meat but the process overall suffers from unpredictable results and the risk of fires.

Copra has since more than doubled in price, and was quoted at US$540 per ton in the Philippines on a CIF Rotterdam basis (US$0.54 per kg) by the Financial Times on 9 November 2012.

The largest exporter was Papua New Guinea with 35% of the global total, followed by Indonesia (20%), Solomon Islands (13%) and Vanuatu (12%).

[8] A very large number of small farmers and tree owners produce copra, which is a vital part of their income.

[9][10] Aflatoxins in copra cake, fed to animals, can be passed on to milk or meat from livestock, leading to human illnesses.

[15] High-quality copra meal contains < 12% non-structural carbohydrate (NSC),[16] which makes it well suited for feeding to horses that are prone to ulcers, insulin resistance, colic, tying up, and acidosis.