Pasay City, Philippines—The Philippines is taking the track to regain its former status as the world's top producer of coconut. The local coconut industry is welcoming several developments that give it a significant boost, not just from the national government but also from the private sector.
Through the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the Administration of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr recently rolled out an aggressive program to plant 100 million coconut trees in targeted open areas, mostly in Mindanao. The goal is to increase the annual average yield per coconut tree in the country to about 100 nuts from the current 44 nuts.
At the same time, the agricultural agency is implementing other strategies to bolster local coconut productivity. Among the significant programs are farm diversification, revitalization of coconut research and development, and integration of agribusiness into every phase of the supply chain so that farmers could turn into entrepreneurs. Previously, PCA was also designated to manage a P100 billion coco levy fund, which will drive a transformation effort within a 2038 Roadmap.
A promising industry
"We are approaching the 'golden age' for the Philippine coconut industry," asserted Marco Reyes, Vice Chairman of the United Coconut Association of the Philippines, Inc. (UCAP). "Our coconut farmers will certainly benefit from the expected increase in yield, which will be the likely outcome of fund infusions, replanting initiatives, and introduction and distribution of hybrid coconut varieties to them."
At the same time, Reyes emphasized that the support coming from several conglomerates and tycoons that are infusing investments into coconut farming and processing across the
countryside is also significantly contributing to the revitalization and revolution of the industry.
'The business community is logically recognizing the potential of coconut farming,' he said The local coconut industry is currently the top exporter of coconut in the world, despite the country being only the third biggest coconut producer, next to India and Indonesia. Coconut remains as the nation's biggest agricultural export, generating about US$2 billion to US$3 billion worth of annual revenues.
3' World Coconut Congress
Maintaining the sustainability of coconut farming was the main thrust of the 3rd World Coconut Congress, had taken place last August 30 to September 1 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. With the theme 'Sustain the Source,' the three-day conference aimed at exploring the impact of sustainable practices on health, food, feeds, and energy. The event have gathered business leaders. experts, and resource speakers who gave insights about the industry through an interesting lineup of panel discussions.
This edition also marks the return of the World Coconut Congress after a three-year hiatus due to the recent pandemic. The first conference was held in 2018 with the theme 'The Time Is Now while the second was mounted in 2019 with the theme 'Sustain. Embrace. Advance.'
We are hosting eight plenary sessions within the three-day conference with interesting and insightful discussions covering timely topics for the industry. Among the highlights are the sessions about sustainable coconut farming practices, the emerging lauric oil market, trends in non-traditional coconut products, the real health benefits of coconut oil and products, the effects of climate change on coconut production, and many more," Reyes said.
The 3rd World Coconut Congress was organized by UCAP in partnership with PO4 and the International Coconut Community. For inquiries, call or text the event manager World Expos & Concepts Inc at +63917 5877477 or send an email to wcc@worldexco.com.
#3rdWorldCoconutCongress #CoconutPhilippines #PCA #supportlocal #events #product #business #marketing #promotion #pr #socialmedia #blog #GandaNegosyo #subscribe