Solomon Tropical Products Company plans to buy copra from villages

Farmers in the rural out-backs of Solomon Islands should soon able to sell their copra for a higher price without having to come to Honiara.

A Honiara company, the Solomon Tropical Products is planning to buy four vessels to run a service, to buy copra from villages.

General manager John Vollrath at the recent national trade and cultural show urged Solomon Islanders to make more use of their coconut trees.

Mr Vollrath says his company wants to value add the product and it will be paying a very good price to rural farmers.

" We need to service you people and the outer provinces where its uneconomical for other shipping, and make it economical and make sure you got the right price for producing copra, because you got 25-thousand tonnes in the islands, rooting under the tree that you can turn into real money. We are hoping to pay a dollar a kilo for copra in the outer islands."

Source: SIBC