Press Release
August 12, 2008

ANGARA CALLS FOR RENEWED SUPPORT TO COCONUT INDUSTRY

Senator Edgardo J. Angara called for reviving the coconut industry through extensive research and development (R&D), and the use of the coconut levy.

"Coconut farmers are among the most forgotten in the agriculture sector. Billions of pesos are locked up in the coconut levy for the last 26 years. As long as it's under litigation, it is not benefiting our coconut farmers, especially in the crucial areas of research and development (R&D)" said Angara.

Angara said Filipinos are inventive, naming pioneering inventions like macapuno and nata de coco, "but we are unsuccessful in sustaining the growth of these inventions through commercialization and propagation."

He cited Thailand's success in commercializing macapuno, "taking advantage of a technology we invented." He added that the nata de coco industry collapsed because there were no established standards. He warned that Indonesia may soon overtake the Philippines in coconut production, unless we muster enough support to the industry.

Angara lauded the Integrated Whole Nut Program adopted in the Province of Aurora. Under it, a wide range of coconut products are derived from the whole nut and nothing goes to waste.

From copra, they produce crude coconut oil, cochin oil, and cooking oil. From mature coconuts -- pasteurized coconut water, VCO, refined oil, coconut flour, coconut vinegar. They process nipa saps into ethanol, an alternative fuel to charcoal, kerosene and LPG. From the husks, they produce coco coir and coco peat, which has a huge demand in China and the US. With the help of simple apparatus like looms and stitching machines, they can also produce geo-textile fabrics and coco mats which are an excellent material against soil erosion.

"More importantly, this creative business and social model offers an opportunity to augment the income of coconut farmers, and help them shift from the trading of young coconuts (buko) into a more profitable, high-value chain," added Angara.

The coconut industry is the oldest and most strategic industry in the country, comprising 1.14% of our Gross Domestic Product, or as much as US$ 760 million. Coconut itself is the top agricultural export of the Philippines, reaping an annual revenue of US$ 631.5 million from exports. The industry employs 23 million Filipinos, 3.4 million of whom are farmers. The tree is planted in 3.2 million hectares of land all over the country, in 68 out of the total 79 provinces.

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