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Vanuatu Commodities Marketing Board (Copra) Regulations

Commencement: 25 April 1986

VANUATU COMMODITIES MARKETING BOARD
(COPRA) REGULATIONS

Order 15 of 1986

To prescribe regulations for the marketing of copra.

1. Copra intended for export

Copra intended for export from Vanuatu shall be contained in good serviceable bags or if presented in bulk in such form as approved by the Vanuatu Commodities Marketing Board (hereinafter "the Board").

2. Bagging of copra for export

(1) Bags containing copra for export shall be securely sewn, in such a manner that there is no opening at the mouth through which copra can escape or be contaminated, with twine of clean natural fibre and shall contain not more than 70 kilograms net weight of copra.

(2) A bag found to be in a damaged condition or otherwise considered unserviceable by an inspector may be condemned and the copra contained therein transferred to a sound bag and all cost relating thereto shall be recoverable from the owner as a debt due to the Board.

(3) Bags of copra for export shall be permanently marked in such a way as to be legible and recognisable as belonging to the seller. Copra bags shall remain the property of the Board.

3. Moisture, dust and acidic contents of copra

(1) The Board shall not be bound to purchase copra where −

(a) the moisture content of the copra is more than 7 per cent; or

(b) the dust, dirt and other extraneous matter of or attached to the copra weighs more than 3 per cent by weight of the copra as determined by passage through a 3/8 inch mesh sieve; or

(c) the free fatty acid content of extracted oil, expressed as lauric acid, is more than 4 percent.

(2) It shall be the responsibility of the person offering copra to the Board to recondition or otherwise dispose of such copra rejected by the Board and all costs related thereto shall be to that person's account.

4. Grades and grading of copra

(1) For the purposes of grading copra for purchase by the Board and/or for the export of such copra, if such copra conforms to the standards of regulation 3(1), a Board inspector shall award grades for the qualities and features of the copra as follows –

(a) Vanuatu hot air or sundried copra:

The copra is either white, grey or light brown, is free from an odour of smoke and is free from mould.

(b) Vanuatu smoked copra:

The copra is dark brown or smoked copra but not black in colour.

(2) It shall be the responsibility of the person presenting copra for grading to segregate copra of different qualities to allow for ease of grading.

(3) The grading of copra shall be determined by a Board inspector upon the examination by him of at least 5 per cent at random of the consignment; however a producer may, upon payment of a fee of VT 2,000, require a sample of any copra graded in any grade, as defined in these regulations, to be submitted to the general manager of the Board or the Director of Agriculture for further examination and re-grading. If as a result of such re-grading the consignment or any part of it is graded at a higher grade than that determined by the inspector, the fee paid by the producer shall be refunded to him.

5. Cargo manifests

All bagged copra received from ships in addition to having bag marks as required by regulation 2(3) shall be accompanied by a cargo manifest of a form approved by the Board.