Sunday, December 20, 2009

Processing of galip for food

Caption: NARI Staff evaluating local galip nuts at Keravat in East New Britain.- Picture by SENIORL ANZU

 

By MATTHEW POIENOU of NARI

 

Galip nut is a marketable product with great potential to improve the livelihoods of rural households in the South Pacific.

At the moment the galip nut industry is small in world terms, but there is strong consumer demand and acceptance of the product in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

There is great potential in these countries to expand the domestic market and develop an export market.

However, a major constraint to increased commercialisation of the galip industry is poor quality of the nuts due to post-harvest handling and processing.

A recent feasibility study, conducted in PNG with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), concluded that while marketing expertise exists, the nut industry is limited by a lack of knowledge about post-harvest handling and processing techniques.

Processing methods need development in a way that is commercially viable for small-scale agriculture and can be easily implemented by local farmers.

 Specific research is undertaken to identify appropriate processing practices with dissemination of information.

 NARI is currently undertaking a collaborative research to develop a galip nut industry for PNG.

 The aim of this project, funded by ACIAR, is to develop post-harvest processes and techniques for Melanesian galip nuts that can be optimally used by small-scale, block and plantation farmers.           This research will identify processing techniques that are appropriate to and beneficial for the production of galip nut.                                                                                                                                    It is being conducted in partnership with Australia’s Sunshine Coast University, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu (Department of Forests).                                                                                                      In addition, processors from the macadamia industry will provide expertise.

 

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:15 PM

    Can you pleaser provide more information on the galip nut and what proteins it contains and vitamins ??? Also please tell us readers how the nut is grown, and looks like before and after harvest... What can it be used for in cooking terms?? Is it a tree or a shrub??

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  2. Anonymous4:11 AM

    Its a nut that grows on a tree to a height of 20-25 metres in height. The nut is contained in a hard shell that you will have to break open and extract the nut. The nut is highly consist of protein and its delicious eating it.

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  3. Get in touch with Seniorl Anzu at NARI seniorl.anzu@nari.org.pg

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  4. Anonymous1:30 PM

    Galip nut or Canarium spp comes from a tree found in Africa in the west and Asia Pacific countries(Philipines, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Celebas and Moluccas)to the east. From the 100 Canarium species identified, about 21 species has been identified in Papua New Guinea. Canarium indicum is the species that is currently being promoted for research and development in PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.

    The plant grows up to 40 metres height straight bole with buttress tree base. In its natural stand, it takes 10 to 20 years to bear the nuts or simply galip fruits. About The fruit consist of hard pulp which becomes soft with dark purple colour when matured generally. Inside a mature fruit (pulp), a hard brown covering shell can be seen when the pulp is removed. The hard covering shell covers the kernel which is surrounded by a brown skin covering called the testa. The kernel itself is white in colour when abstracted fresh from the shell. Fresh kernels are eaten raw, roasted or dried, however they can be processed to obtain many by-products. For example, kernel oil for medicinal use and cooking, cosmetics, skin care products. With cooking, nuts have been used for baking with cassava, taro, banana, cake toppings, biscuits e.t.c.

    In terms of chemical composition, galip kernels contain 74.0% oil/fat, 14.2 % protein, 5.5 % carbohydrates, 3.2 % Fibre, total energy of 2705 kj/100g, Vit A 27 micro gram/100g, Vit B 0.12 mg/100 g, Niacin 0.4 mg/100 g, Calcium 119 mg/100 g, iron 3mg/100g.

    Galip is grow mainly from mature nuts (with pulp covering)that are obtained. Matured fruits are placed onto pre-germination bed and watered regularly. Seeds germinate 3 days - 21 days from planting. Once true leaves are formed, plants are transplanted into soil filled polythene bags and left there until they are about 50 to 70 cm high. At this stage galip seedlings are field-planted similar to cocoa seedling planting except a wider spacing (8 m - 16 m square spacing) is used. Field experience showed that galip seedlings can start flowerinf as early as 2 years old (for selected materials) to almost 12 years or more for non selected materials.

    I hope this information helps.

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  5. where can i buy this nut?look yummy..
    do we eat it raw?

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