By Charmaine Odong
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna — The Philippines continues to be one of the top exporting countries of coconuts worldwide, according to data from the Philippines Coconut Authority (PCA).
In an interview during the Sulong CALABARZON program on August 13, PCA Region IV-A Project Development Officer Marietta Perez stated that coconuts remain to be the country’s top agricultural export and one of the leading dollar earners, alongside microchips, garments, and other export products.
While the direct gains do not directly benefit coconut farmers themselves, the PCA noted that the industry plays a crucial role in driving the national economy of the country.
“It is the tree of life, it has 1,001 uses, and added to this is what we called ‘Ginto sa Kabukiran’. What our farmers may not know is that our coconut is one of the major products being exported and earning dollars, making it a top dollar earner,” Perez said.
She added: “Although it may not directly go into the pockets of our farmers, it contributes to the economy of our country, the Philippines. It brings livelihood and serves as a foundation for progress. It truly brings livelihood because we have so many products made from coconut.”
The coconut farming industry not only supports the livelihood of thousands of farmers, but also generates substantial revenue from exports, contributing significantly to foreign exchange earnings and provides jobs to various sectors, such as manufacturing and processing.
Marietta then emphasized that coconut farmers need to rediscover the high potential of coconut, including the development of value-added coconut products and discovering innovative products from the coconut to expand their knowledge and market for coconut-based goods to ensure that they will benefit from the crop’s diverse uses.
“The traditional farming product of farmers is copra or dried coconut meat. In the coconut industry, when it is made into copra, we have coconut water, which farmers just throw away because they only dry and sell the coconut meat. The husk and the shell are also wasted. So, if we consolidate these, we can process them.”
To help farmers rediscover the potential products of coconut, the PCA, together with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) and the Agriculture Training Institute (ATI), are working to address this issue.
Seminars and training activities are provided to promote that coconuts can add livelihood, increase income, and bring added value, like “gold,” to their farmlands.
Meanwhile, to prioritize the health and well-being of the farmers, the PCA, in partnership with other private stakeholders, organized several health caravans in the region to bring together farmers and provide the agency’s support and services.
