Candlenut Oil Industry

Prospers in Fiji

SUVA, August 13.

FIJI’S candlenut oil factory, which came into being about a year ago, is now crushing about 16 tons of nuts per week. New machinery is on order from Australia, and when this has been installed in the Suva factory, it is expected that all the nuts available in the Fijian Group, Tonga and Samoa can be treated.

The factory is at present buying nuts only from the Sieatoka “banana” area.

In the six weeks ending August 9, Fijians from that district sold 100 tons of nuts, at an average price of £5 per ton.

CANDLENUT oil has been known to be a valuable drying oil for many years, but the difficulty of extrac tion lay in the extremely hard shell and the adherence of the kernel to it. Be fore the war, and with crude methods of manufacture, the Philippines exported a certain amount of candlenut oil to America where it was popular, although of poor quality. The Filipino method was to place the nuts on dry grass, which was then fired. When the nuts were almost red hot, cold water was thrown on them; this freed the kernel from the shell. The kernels were then picked out by hand and sent to a collecting depot, but the long period that had elapsed be tween collecting the nuts and extracting the oil allowed the kernels to become rancid.

Mr. H. A. Mitchell, the general-manager of Industrial Oils (Fiji) Ltd.—the com pany which operates the Suva factory— became interested in candlenut oil in the middle-thirties, when he visited Hawaii to observe the possibilities of the industry there. On his way back to Australia he called at Suva and as a result Dr. Jack, then Director of Agriculture, became in terested in the project.

Delays were caused by the belief that there would not be sufficient nuts in the Fili Group: in perfecting the process for treating the nuts; and lastly, by the outbreak of war.

Not until early in 1945 was the way sufficiently clear for Mr. Mitchell to start; then he arrived in Fiji with an experi mental plant. A "reat deal of impro visation was required, and irritating de lays were experienced, but it was proved eventually that oil could be produced suc cessfully from local candlenuts, and that it would be an economically sound busi ness proposition.

IT is expected that it will be several months before the arrival of the new machinery for large-scale operations; but, in the meantime, the existing plant is treating about 16 tons of local nuts weekly. Although it has always been doubted that sufficient candlenuts, would be forthcoming, actually more nuts are coming into the Suva factory than can be treated at present. These nuts have all come from the Sigatoga district, which is about 80 miles from Suva. It is known that there are even larger quantities in the outer districts and islands, but the Company cannot at present take further supplies owing to lack of storage space.

The collection of candlenuts offers luc rative employment to the Fijian villagers.

No skill is required—the nuts are simply gathered from the ground, bagged and transported to the factory. Children as well as adults around Sigatoka arc collect ins: them—even small children are mak ing good money.

IT is hoped that the Company will eventually have its own plantations and that the Fijians, also, will plant candlenut trees near their villages.

The tree grows very easily anywhere in Fiji and is not affected by any pests.

It comes into bearing in three years and in seven is bearing prolifically, yield ing up to 5 tons of nuts per acre per annum.

Not only is the oil valuable, but the “cake” that remains when the oil is ex tracted is a good stock food with a pro tein content of 50 per cent.; it may also be used as fertiliser. The shell, when crushed, is an excellent wood-flour, and may be welcomed in the plastic industry.

The demand for oil for paint manu facture is very large at present; but, even in more normal times, the industry should do well. Ten thousand acres could be planted in Fiji and yet the yield of oil would scarcely be felt in the world’s

markets. For example, Australia’s pre war consumption of linseed oil was 2,000,000 gallons. For hard-drying and weather-proofm" ualities, and for gen eral paint uses, candlenut oil is equal to if not superior to the best linseed oil. (Note: 1 ton of candlenuts yields ap proximately 40 gallons of oil.)