Project To Turn Coconut Palm Into Flooring Begins

Queensland, Australia, Oct. 5, 2010--A project to turn coconut palms into flooring could provide a boost to Pacific Island economies, according to ABC News.

A new process has been developed to cut and dry old coconut palms for flooring with the added benefit of clearing land for other crops.

Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) spokesman Gary Hopewell says the strongest queries came directly from Europe, particularly from France.

"As a result of the project there's a joint venture between Samoa and Fiji exporting flooring into France with distribution throughout Europe," Hopewell said.