Province gives P10M for coco seedling farm

With the increasing demand of coconut virgin oil and other coco products abroad, the provincial government of Cebu has allocated some P10-Million for the establishment of a coconut seed garden and financial assistance to coco farmers in the south of Cebu.

In a press release, Gilbert Barraquias, regional manager of the Philippine Coconut Authority here said, they have already identified a 30-hectare lot for the seed garden at Cagay, Barili that is situated within the Cebu State College of Science & Technology (CSCST) compound.

Barraquias added, the coco seed garden would be planted to four coconut varieties. Coco farmers will be planting the Cynvar that will be used for hybrid planting materials. The Kabuwig produces the Macapuno variety, the Catgan bears the sweetest fruit and the Aromatic gives the best juice, the very kind restaurants prefer. The seed garden hopes to provide cheaper coconut seedlings to coco farmers in Cebu and in the region. Presently, most of the coconut farmers in Cebu buy their seedlings from San Ramon, Zamboanga that costs them almost 25 percent more than when they buy their seedlings in Cebu, the PCA release said.

The establishment of a coco seed garden in Barili augurs well for the coco farmers of the province because for the past two years or so, coconut exports income continues to increase. PCA reports showed that during the first quarter of 2005, coconut exports earning registered at US$445.75-Million, a 14% increase from the same period in 2004 with coco exports earnings at US$390-Million.

The reports further bared that coconut oil brought in US$296-Million in the first quarter of 2005, a good 6.64% increase from the same period in 2004 income of US$277.6-Million. PCA officials also said, the price of coconut oil rose to US$616.9 per metric ton compared to US$589.09 per metric ton in 2004. Exports earnings of other coco products such as desiccated coconut earned the country US$58.97-Million in the first quarter of 2005, a 44.2% increase from the same period last year.

The increase, according to Barraquias can be attributed to the increasing prices of coconut oil and other coco by-products and the consumer perception that coconut oil is now know as the "healthiest oil on earth." Barraquias also pointed out three (3) major coconut products that are showing excellent performances as far as exports earnings are concerned, namely: desiccated coconuts, coco shell charcoal and coco-chemicals. - Jasmin R. Uy