China opens doors for Phl coconuts

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is set to export to China fresh young coconuts from the provinces of Davao and Leyte.

Davao-based firm Eng Seng Food Products, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture- Region 11 and the Bureau of Plant Industry, will ship 48 metric tons or 36,000 pieces of aromatic coconuts to Guangzhou and Xiamen  in China this week.

“The shipment was made possible after the signing of a contract with  China-based company China Artex Corp. Fujian Co.,” Eng Seng Food Products president John Tan said.

Last April, President Duterte witnessed the contract signing between the two parties during the 2nd Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

The contract is for a one-year supply of 64.5 million MT of young coconuts.

Tan said Filipino farmers could expand their aromatic variety coconuts as there is a huge market in China.

“We want to target 60 containers weekly, but due to lack of supply, we decreased it to only 15 containers,” Tan said.

DA-Davao will also help in linking coconut farmers who want to sell their produce to meet the demand of the Chinese market.

The Philippine Coconut Authority will likewise provide coconut seedlings and technical assistance to interested farmers.

Tan said the DA is also interested in signing a long term marketing agreement with Filipino coconut farmers.

The DA continues to push for the lifting of the ban on the export of matured coconuts more than 30 years after the Marcos administration ordered an executive order instituting the ban.

China has already expressed interest in importing matured coconuts from the Philippines. China’s annual demand is about 1,500 MT.

Executive Order 1016 issued in 1985 banned the export of matured coconuts amid concerns of the possible spread of the local genetic materials for the commodity.

The DA earlier said the Philippines could once again be among the top coconut producing countries in the world in the next 10 years following the development of high-yielding and versatile coconut varieties.

It is also crafting a five-year coconut industry roadmap.

The Philippines continues to lose opportunities to Thailand in the highly-lucrative market of five high-value coconut products.