The completion of the Coconut Farmers’ and Industry Roadmap (Coco-FIRM) will help improve the productivity of the sector as it ensures funding of P75 billion over the next five years.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is the first among its bureaus and attached agencies to have completed a commodity industry roadmap.
DA Secretary William Dar said the enactment of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund will also help as much as 2.5 million coconut farmers.
“In contrast to other commodities, a roadmap for the coconut industry is much more complicated, considering the many downstream food and non-food products that could be developed from the ‘tree of life’ ,” said Benjamin Madrigal Jr., PCA administrator.
Madrigal said other specific goals of Coco-FIRM include the promotion of coconut farmers’ welfare and social protection; strengthening and empowerment of coconut farmers’ organizations and associations; increasing and sustaining coconut production programs; and the establishment of coconut farming systems.
The roadmap will enhance global competitiveness of traditional and non-traditional coco products; expanding trade and marketing, and conduct of innovative research and development; and strengthening of institutional policies.
Madrigal said the price of copra has increased from a low of P15 per kilogram (kg) at the start of 2020 to a high of P34 per kilo by yearend.
DA said the contribution of the coconut subsector to total agricultural gross value added must also grow as the Philippines ranks as the world’s number one exporter of coconut products, with average export revenues of P91.4 billion, from 2014 to 2018. Products range from coconut oil, copra meal, desiccated coconut and oleochemicals.
Coconut is planted in 3.6 million hectares mostly in 69 provinces where there are 347 million fruit-bearing trees as of end-2019. – Jed Macapagal
