History on the Dominica Essential Oils & Spices Co-operative Limited (DEOCS)
The Dominica Essential Oils & Spices Co-operative Society Limited (DEOSC) has been recognized by the Co-operatives Development Division, as one of Dominica’s longest serving, most successful and leading co-operative societies, with enormous future potential.
The society originated in the village of Petite Savanne and commenced operation in 1964 as a shipping club and on the 23rd September, 1968, was registered as a co-operative under the Co-operative Societies Act, with the objective of undertaking, promoting and marketing of Bay and other oils of plant origin, on behalf of its members and to provide essential services with its line of business such as training, advice and information dissemination to its members.
The West Indian Bay Plant, Pimento Racemes, is a sturdy evergreen tree of the Myrtle family. Leaves and wood are distilled to produce the essential oil. Boiling the chopped leaves under pressure distills bay oil.
The Bay Plant grows throughout Dominica but production and distilleries (1 Industrial distillery based in Petite Savanne and more than 100 artisan distilleries) are concentrated in the south east of the island, and especially in the villages of Petite Savanne and Delices.
The Bay plant is indeed, of all the agricultural practices in Dominica, one plant that stands out as being quietly consistent.
No crop is immune to these ups and downs on the world market, but at least the Bay doesn’t fall over when there is a tropical storm.
Dominica Essential Oils & Spices Cooperative Society Ltd. has over 562 active members and produces in the order of 90, 50 and 100, 45 – gallon drums per year (app. 4,500 gallons) Dominica Essential Oils & Spices Cooperative Society Ltd. produces more than 60% of the total production of Bay oil in the Commonwealth of Dominica which is the main producer in the world producing more than 85% of the world’s production.
The Society continued to sell top quality products such as Bay oil, Cologne, Bay rum and After-shave.
The export price for Bay oil FOB is US$30.00 per pound.
Presently, the society is diversifying into other essential oils, which are viable on the European & US markets, namely Geranium, Ylang Ylang and Sweet Basil.