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The Tidore Islands City Government plans to continue developing the local coconut oil manufacturing managed by the Sohi Coconut small and medium enterprise (SME) in Akelamo Village, Central Oba District, Tidore Islands City, North Maluku Province. The SME's commodity is expected to be more widely known in North Maluku as an alternative to local oil palm-based cooking oil.
Tidore Islands Mayor Muhammad Sinen explained that coconut oil production is currently still very limited because the managers of the Sohi Coconut Oil SME still need market support to develop their product.
"Our goal is [for the Sohi Coconut Oil SME] to stimulate the economy of the [local] community with the local government's supprt through coconut oil and charcoal briquette production. We hope that all heads of villages and subdistricts can empower their village-owned enterprises to cooperate with the SME so that the coconuts harvested by said enterprise and managed by the IKM itself," said Sinen when visiting the Sohi Coconut Oil SME with the Tidore Islands City Creative Economy Movement Chair as well as Tidore Islands House of Representatives (DPRD) Nurul Asnawia, on Mar. 23, 2025.
She added that after the first visit to the coconut oil processing industry that went viral on social media, many interested people asked about the coconut oil. Therefore, the Tidore Islands City Government will work seriously to provide a market space for coconut oil to be produced more and marketed with Tidore Islands City and in North Maluku in general.
"Once coconut oil manufacturing gets bigger, then I [will] request the people of Tidore Islands City to no longer consume cooking oil made from outside the region. Instead, they should enjoy Tidore's coconut oil as its own products," he said.
"When the production of coconut oil increases, I ask shops, small kiosks, even Indomaret in the Tidore City area to no longer accept processed cooking oil from outside the region. Because anyone who wants to cooperate or invest in Tidore, processed products from Tidore must be the main priority to sell," he added.
Meanwhile, Sohi Coconut SME Manager Abd Rahim Saraha said that the production of coconut oil and charcoal briquettes is currently still very limited because they are still in the process of finding the right market to promote their products.
"Alhamdulillah, we hope that the [Sohi Coconut SME] can work with the Tidore Islands City Government together in marketing and production. The more production, the more workers are needed, which will raise job opportunities for the people of Tidore Islands City in particular and North Maluku in general," said Abd Rahim.
He also hopes that the Tidore Islands City Government will continue to pay attention to developments in the coconut oil industry.
"In addition to creating jobs, coconut oil manufacturing could also be a a profitable alternative for coconut farmers who are [otherwise] constrained by fluctuations in coconut copra prices, such a copra farmers in Central Oba [District, North Maluku]," Abd Rahim elaborated.
