Phl seen as top coco peat supplier

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has the potential of becoming the world’s top supplier of coco peat but investments in proper postharvest technologies is needed to produce export-grade of such, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) said.

The PhilMech said in a statement yesterday that based on a study it conducted, the country has greater land area planted with coconut trees compared to India and Sri Lanka, the top exporters of coco peat in the world.

It noted that India has one million hectares of coconut lands, while Sri Lanka has a coconut area only of the size of the Bicol region.

The Philippines, meanwhile, has 3.3 million hectares planted with coconut trees, indicating potential higher production.

“It is part of PhilMech’s mandate to conduct research so we can put to good use the many types of wastes that farms produce, and if only 30 percent of discarded coconut husks are processed into high-grade coco peat, the Philippines could be the largest supplier of the commodity internationally, PhilMech executive director Rex Bingabing said.

Cocopeat, a by-product of coconut husk, is used primarily as a growing medium for crops in hydroponics or the method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water without soil.

A study conducted by PhilMech showed that the country shipped only 5,000 metric tons  (MT) of coco peat last year, lower than India’s 400,000 MT and Sri Lanka’s 82,000 MT.

The research noted that if 30 percent of coconut husks could be collected and processed from the country’s total coconut output, the Philippines coulld produce about 562,000 MT of coco peat which would be higher than India and Sri Lanka’s exports.

Bingabing said that apart from the higher collection and processing of coconut husks, investments in proper drying technologies will be needed to produce export-quality coco peat.

The PhilMech is recommending mechanical drying for the production of coco peat considering the country’s rainy weather.

The PhilMech said mechanical dewatering of coco peat before drying is also recommended.

The PhilMech said the potential for the Philippines to become the world’s top coco peat exporter cannot be ignored as coco peat is becoming widely used.