Coconut Tea Waiting For Export

Owner of ‘Especially Local’ Sera Tari is eager to enter the export business with her new product called ‘Coconut Tea’.

The home-grown organic island brew was developed by the local entrepreneur in 2018 and now she is ready to test the international export waters.

“I tried it out in 2018 with my family and we loved it and I tried it out with some of my friends from Geneva and they loved it and that is what is making me do what I am doing now,” she said.

Ms. Tari’s demographic in the country is predominantly expatriates who are fond of the roasted scrapped coconut flaked tea which strengthened her case for a probable international market.

“I see potential, at the moment because majority of my buyers are expatriates living in Vanuatu, I know that there will be a market for it out there, I’m just waiting for the borders to open.”

However, before venturing into the world of export, Ms. Tari needs a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certificate, which just so happens the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hosting tomorrow.

“I am going through some trainings with the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce, starting with a training on the HACCP Certification with Dion Palu and hopefully once I’ve done that I am going to do the Organic Certification as well.”

An entrepreneur at heart for over 17 years, the owner of Especially Local was forced to diversify into other products due to COVID-19 and since the switch from handicrafts to edibles, Ms. Tari is focused on putting down some roots on her new business idea.

“When COVID came through, tourism was down, I diverse my business and started making coconut tea, this tea was made in 2018 but I didn’t put it out in the market until July 2020 when YUMI 40 celebrations.

“I have had two lab tests done at the Vanuatu Bureau of Standards and I’m thinking of a Nutrition Analysis test and that will be done next year and I’m hoping that this coconut tea can be exported outside Vanuatu.”

Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Zhou Haicheng weighed in on the potential export opportunities and said that Chinese enjoy organic products – “Many kinds of these organic products have a huge market in China; that will be the first, for coconut tea.”

Ms. Tari was elated to hear that China could be potential market for her product but added that building the foundation of the business first is more important, no matter how long it takes.

“There will have to be a big production of it, the important part is the foundation, I don’t want to build up too fast, I want to do it step by step so when it comes up it doesn’t fall down, it stays where it is.”

Since Ms. Tari is adapting to the pandemic through diversification of her product, she had some inspiring words to assist fellow entrepreneurs who are facing some difficulties in branching out of their comfort zones.

“I love entrepreneurship and I love being an entrepreneur, if you have passion for it you do what you want to do and the other thing that I encourage is networking, we need each other to be able to work together.”

“If you are an entrepreneur, your vision should be big but you have to start small.”

(Source; Vanuatu Daily Post news 09 December 2020)