Cocowood fibre has properties similar to many hardwood timbers. High density cocowood can be used for flooring, furniture, joinery, panelling, pallets, plywood and veneers, utility poles (preservative-treated) and feature posts. Lower density material can be used for turnery, insulation, handicrafts and charcoal, firewood and a potting substrate for plants. Cocowood has good environmental credentials. Extensive areas of coconut plantations are grown throughout the Pacific Region in 60-80 year rotations. Large areas of now senile palms yield only small coconut crops, and replanting is economically sustainable when coconut stems are sold for cocowood processing. The emerging cocowood harvesting and processing sector provides income for smallholders and employment for regional communities. There are currently 2 cocowood processing resources available:
-
Cocowood pamphlet
-
Cocowood processing manual
Cocowood pamphlet:
This A4 pamphlet introduces the properties and processing requirements of cocowood. This resource is an output of a collaborative research project co-ordinated by Queensland's Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, and supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
Cocowood Pamphlet: Properties and processing facts for coconut 'wood'
Cocowood processing manual
This A4 manual describes best practice for producing high-value flooring products from coconut ‘wood’ or cocowood. It meets international standards for flooring products and accounts for the recognised, specific, local conditions of the Pacific Islands. The information is intended for operators skilled in timber processing, who need to work with the unusual properties of cocowood, and specifies where cocowood processes differ from standard practice for timber. These technical guidelines are based on the research outcomes of the ACIAR project: Improving value and marketability of coconut wood.
-
Cocowood Processing Manual: From coconut wood to quality flooring