Exhibition on coconut and palm oil trees opens in Kumasi

Kumasi, April 22, GNA - The Kumasi centre of Alliance Francaise, in collaboration with the French Embassy and CIRAD, an international agronomic institute, has held an exhibition on coconut and the oil palm tree in Kumasi.

The exhibition was to sensitise the participants on the uses of the trees, the fruits as well as their economic benefits. CIRAD had estimated that about 80 per cent of red palm oil is used for human consumption, salad oil in tropical countries, cooking oil, margarine, biscuits, cakes and confectionary and could also be used in the manufacturing of soap, detergents and cosmetics. According to CIRAD, the kernel of ripe coconuts could be oven-dried to produce copra and that the coconut oil which is extracted under high pressure has many uses in the manufacturing of bio-fuels. Mr Julien Da Bosco, the Centre Manager, said the exhibition would last for a week and that it was also being held in other centres of Alliance Francaise nationwide.