Copra receiving on unloading day: weigh, foreign matter, mould

Copra receiving has one moment that cannot be repeated: unloading day, the only time a mill sees and weighs a whole lot at once. After the copra goes into the store or blends with other lots, much of what could have been recorded can no longer be checked. This note covers four things worth writing down during copra receiving, and how each one connects to the purchase terms.

1. Copra receiving starts at the scale: gross, tare, net

The scale decides how much is paid, so the rules need to be clear from the start. Record the gross weight when the vehicle comes in, the tare after it is empty, and work out the net from the difference. Note which scale was used and when it was last verified. If the supplier also weighs at the loading point, compare the two figures and record the gap, however small.

One thing often missed: copra weight moves with its moisture. So the net weight should always be read next to the moisture result for the same lot, and the basis for any deduction (net as received, or net after correction) belongs in the purchase terms.

2. Foreign matter

Foreign matter is usually dust, shell fragments, soil or pieces of other material that are not copra. Mills rate it because it is paid for as copra while yielding no oil. The Kora product page read on 22 Oct 2026 lists no limit for foreign matter, and most other producer pages do not either. The Kenyan draft standard DKS 2466:2018, still a public review draft, writes limits of 0.5, 1 and 2 % for its three grades. So the limit that applies at your mill has to be agreed separately.

As an illustration, the Philippine Coconut Authority policy that we read through a legal mirror (Lawyerly, not the PCA site) applies a deduction of 1 % for every 1 % of dust or foreign matter. That is one country’s example, not an Indonesian rule, and we cite it only as a shape of rule you could consider: a deduction that is proportional and easy to calculate. The deduction rate for your mill has to come from your own agreement.

What needs to be written down: how foreign matter is separated from the sample (sieve, hand picking), how many grams of sample are examined, and what the percentage is based on.

3. Visible mould and aflatoxin testing are different things

Mould that the eye can see and aflatoxin that a laboratory measures are two separate checks. A visual finding does not replace a lab result, and a clean lab result does not mean a lot may carry visible mould in any amount.

The same Philippine policy uses a measure called aflatoxin-related mould (ARM) as a percentage and says a lot above 20 % ARM must be rejected. Again, this is a Philippine reference that does not apply here automatically, and the unit and definition of ARM should be confirmed from the original document before it goes into a contract. For aflatoxin itself, the Kora product page lists no data at all. The SMN Indonesia page, read on 22 Oct 2026, lists a green mould limit of 0 % and names no method. The article on mould on copra goes further. If your mill needs it, settle with QC which compound is tested, the unit, the method and who runs the test.

In the daily record, keep two columns apart: visible mould (yes or no, where in the load, photographed or not) and the aflatoxin result (pending or received, report number).

4. Vehicle condition and hand-over

Before copra unloading starts, look at the vehicle: is it clean, dry and covered? A wet or leaking bed can explain high moisture in the bottom layer. Photograph the load before it is opened if you can.

The hand-over closes with one page signed by the store officer and the sender’s representative: delivery note number, lot number, net weight, provisional results and a provisional decision (accepted, held pending lab, or rejected). The final decision follows the lab result under the purchase terms.

What the purchase terms should hold

• The scale and the weight basis used for calculations.
• The foreign matter limit, how it is measured, and what happens when it is exceeded.
• How visible mould is recorded, and who may hold a lot because of it.
• Aflatoxin testing terms if needed: compound, unit, method and laboratory.
• A deadline for objections after unloading.

A note on lots with a higher moisture limit

A lot with a higher moisture limit, for example the smoke-dried grade Kora lists at up to 8 %, makes unloading-day records more important: moisture, visible mould and your pressing plan have to be read together. The published figures are on the page for smoke-dried copra for oil mills, including the rows that still have no data. How to measure the moisture is covered in how to measure copra moisture.

Talk through your copra receiving needs

If your mill has an unloading schedule, a foreign matter limit or particular test needs, write them down on the contact page with the grade and volume you need. The Kora sales team replies within two business days and can explain which documents come with the shipment.