Chapter 01
White, black and run-of-mine copra
These three names turn up in almost every offer. You cannot read quality from a name. What you can compare is the way it was dried and the lot’s test results.
| Name | How it is dried | What the market knows | Ask the supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| White copra | Sun-dried (North Maluku) or oven-dried (Selayar, Madura); the meaning differs by region. | Per an Antara Ambon report of 24 Aug 2015, sun-dried copra in North Maluku fetches more and is sought more by export buyers than smoked copra. In Selayar and Madura, white is used for oven-dried copra. | How many days, on what surface, and what happens when it rains? |
| Black or smoked copra | Dried over smoke from a kiln. | The same report says North Maluku farmers smoke their copra and buyers rate it lower. | What fuel, and how is smoke odour and soot kept off the lot? |
| Run-of-mine copra (asalan) | No single method; a trade word. | Traders use it for copra not yet sorted or separated by type. | This supplier’s written definition, and whether it is sorted before dispatch. |
Why the name alone is not enough
Two suppliers can write white copra for different goods. The sources we read use the word for sun-dried copra in one region and oven-dried copra in another. Compare the drying method, the test results and the state of the warehouse, not the type name.
Drying settles a lot
Copra has to be dried to a safe moisture before storage; damp copra goes mouldy. A sample study in an FAO publication says drying should finish within 48 hours of splitting the nut. That is one study in one place, not a trade limit in Indonesia.
Under research, not yet verified · FAO, sample copra-drying study, read 2026-10-20; not an Indonesian standard.
What to do with the table
- Have the supplier fill the third column in writing.
- If two suppliers use the same name for different drying, treat them as two goods.
- Put the definition you receive into the Goods clause of the contract.