Coconut production is expected to be flat this year compared with 2022 figures.
Bernie Cruz, administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), told reporters at the third World Coconut Congress in Pasay City last year, the government is venturing into a massive coconut re-planting and value adding activities.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the country produced 14.93 million metric tons (MT) of coconut last year, a 1.43 percent increase from 2021’s 14.72 million MT.
“In terms of yield, it has not been changing much because our coconut trees are really aging and as it ages, the yield decreases. Our average coconut tree gives a yield of 44 coconuts (annually) and that is the reason why we need to re-plant massively,” Cruz said.
The PCA said at present, dwarf open pollinated varieties of coconuts can produce 80 to 100 coconuts per tree each year while hybrid varieties can bear as much as 100 to 140 coconuts annually per tree.
PCA added there are 3.16 million hectares of land in the country planted with coconut. The Philippines remains the biggest exporter of coconuts to the global market but Indonesia is now the leader in terms of production.
Cruz said the market for locally grown coconuts is still aimed for exports.
“If you want to create an investment with an impact, you’ll require the support of big establishments. We cannot generate much from domestic and to develop a market overseas, we need to capture the trend. There is a consumer trend that prefers natural and sustainable products and coconut answers both of that,” Cruz said.
At the meeting last month of National Sectoral Committee on Coconut with the PCA on the implementation status of the Philippine Coconut Industry Roadmap 2021-2040, it was bared that as of July, 74,059 farmers were able to avail the crop insurance policy under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. which is 73 percent of the target 101,563 farmers this year.
The agency added through the Agricultural Training Institute, 72 out of the 80 information caravans were conducted while only 55 out of 182 farmer-level trainings were accomplished.
PCA also said so far, more than 699 coconut products were developed, introduced and sold in the market with the involvement of the Department of Trade and Industry in market research, assistance and promotion.
