New uses of coconut husks, fibre introduced

Tikobo Number 1 (W/R), Sept. 20, GNA - Food crop farmers in the Western Region would soon heave a sigh of relief, following the introduction of coconut fibre onto the Ghanaian market.

The product, which is manufactured by Wienco Tex, a company of Netherlands origin, was established in 1997 to produce geo textiles using coconut husks and fibre.

Mr Alfred Essa-Hienwo, a field technician of the company told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Tikobo Number One over the weekend. He said the company depends solely on coconut husks for its production needs and the finished products could be used to check soil erosion and flooding and for the manufacture of stuffed chairs and also used as fertilizer.

Mr Essa-Hienwo said coconut farmers after harvesting their crops, sell the husks to the company to be processed into doormats, and are environmentally friendly.

Mr Essa-Hienwo said, since the establishment of the company it has steadily been exporting 4,500 bundles of processed coconut husks on monthly basis.

He stressed that the products from the company are 100 per cent natural and ideal for the development of durable vegetation on riverbanks and slopes.

It could also be used for roadside embankments, newly constructed football fields and to check the growth of weeds.

These notwithstanding, it allows rainwater to flow easily, regulates soil temperature, and it is fungus resistant and enriches the soil, Mr. Essa-Hienwo said.