Govt intensifying efforts to turn coconut waste into value-added products

The Government is intensifying efforts to turn coconut waste into value-added products, with a state-of-the-art processing facility set to be constructed in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

According to the 2026 Mid-Year Report released by the Ministry of Finance on Monday, the Government made significant efforts during the first six months of the year to add value to coconut waste.

“Efforts to address the disposal of coconut waste through value-added interventions resulted in 105 tonnes of cocopeat and 63 tonnes of fibre being produced in the review period. Further, designs commenced for a pilot project to address the coconut waste issue in the Pomeroon area and increase the production of cocopeat and fibre,” the report outlined.

Cocopeat and coco fibre are both natural by-products made from the outer husks of coconuts.

Cocopeat is used primarily in gardening and greenhouses as an eco-friendly potting mix, while coco fibre can be used to make products such as doormats, brushes, baskets, etc.

According to the Mid-Year Report, during the second half of the year, it is expected that construction will commence on the state-of-the-art cocopeat processing facility in Region Two. This is in keeping with a commitment outlined in Budget 2026.

The budget has set aside $195 million to further expand the local coconut industry, with goals of expanding cultivation by 5000 acres and establishing the facility to process coconut waste.

Based on the Mid-Year Report data, the Government has spent $156.7 million to support the expansion of the coconut industry in the first half of 2026.

To this end, in keeping with the cultivation expansion plan, 15,838 coconut seedings were produced, 78,000 high-yielding seed nuts were imported, and 1066 hectares of new land were planted.

In the second half of 2026, focus would be intensified to achieve the annual targets. It is expected that an additional 234,000 seedlings will be produced, 172,000 high-yielding seednuts will be imported, and over 3,900 additional acres will be cultivated by the end of the year.

2nd half of 2026

Further, it is expected that an additional 195 tonnes of cocopeat and 237 tonnes of coconut fibre will be produced in the second half of the year.

During his presentation of the budget earlier this year, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh had remarked that “the coconut industry is poised for rapid expansion as the Government continues to encourage and facilitate investments by the Private Sector.” In the next five years, we aim to promote the development of the industry through a series of interventions, including the distribution of more than one million high-yielding coconut seedlings and the promotion of more diversified value-added coconut-based products.”

According to a 2025 report from the Department of Public Information (DPI), coconut ranks as the third-highest income earner in Guyana’s agricultural sector.

This is as a result of the Government’s aggressive National Coconut Decentralisation Programme (NCDP), which commenced in 2020 with the commissioning of a $1.1 million coconut nursery at Kairuni along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway in December of that year.

In the first year of the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, Guyana exported $2.5 billion worth of coconuts and related products. To further increase productivity, 13,000 Brazilian dwarf coconut seed nuts were imported by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Hope Coconut Industries Limited (HCIL) in 2023, at a cost of $12 million.

This investment promises faster maturity and higher yield per annum. Moreover, this new variety is less susceptible to diseases. Some 3000 more Brazilian coconut seedlings were subsequently given to approximately 120 farmers in Pomeroon, enabling them to yield approximately 240 coconuts per tree.

Coconut production in 2023 reached 40,000, supplemented by the importation of an additional 13,000.

Nurseries were also commissioned in Regions Two, Three, Four, Six, and 10 in 2024.

In Region One, a coconut nursery was constructed and stocked for $4.3 million in Hosororo Village. The Ministry also partnered with experts to provide training programmes for farmers, invested in coconut shredders, and improved facilities, which include compound fencing and the construction of shade houses.

Last year, 63,000 high-yielding, pest-resistant seed nuts were imported, 58,370 seedlings were produced, and over 2000 acres of coconut were cultivated.