The journey from being a Primary School teacher in the South Rupununi village of Achiwuib has brought Edwin Looknauth right back to his earliest adult employment, working as an assistant to his grandmother, Drupattie, whose reputation as a coconut oil seller in Bourda Market, he insists, some people can still recall.
These days, Edwin, whose trading name is Uncle Andrew, is the sole proprietor of Aunty Dur’s Coconut Oil, the label a tribute to his now deceased grandmother. Over time, she had come to be known as the coconut oil lady and perhaps not altogether unexpectedly, these days, he is referred to by his customers as the coconut oil man.
These days Aunty Dor’s coconut oil is traded from the roadside on Hincks Street in downtown Georgetown. “It’s reasonably good business,” Edwin says.
Between serving as an assistant and trading on Hincks Street, Edwin served as a Primary School Teacher, a Fire Officer and a Security Guard. These days, his wife and three of his five children have joined forces with him to produce both regular and virgin coconut oil, his only major concern being the fact that the mounting demand for coconuts has doubled prices to around $50 each. He believes that the continued growth of the coconut oil and coconut water sub-sectors could cause prices to at least double again over the next year. Coconut oil prices are climbing too. Two years ago regular coconut oil was trading at $500 per pint. The ‘going price’ these days is $1,000.
