A coconut farm worker prepares the nuts for processing into copra. –
Inquirerpic
LEGAZPI CITY:
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has allocated 30,000 new seedlings of
hybrid coconut for an intensified planting-material dispersal drive in the
island-province of Masbate, the agency’s top official in the region said.
The drive is
part of the PCA’s Accelerated Coconut Planting and Replanting Project (ACPRP),
placed under the government’s National Coconut Productivity Program (NCPP)
being undertaken by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The move is in
line with President Aquino’s push for greater investments in the coconut
industry, still a strong pillar of the national economy.
The PCA is
implementing the project in Masbate to help the province regain its standing as
one of the country’s leading copra producers.
PCA Regional
Director Eduardo Allorde said the project would help augment the income of
local coconut farmers, who are bothered by the dwindling production of the crop
because of less productive trees in their farms.
He also said
the seedlings are of the Toroman variety - a high-yielding coconut palm sourced
from Cotabato - which could yield as much as 100 nuts per harvest.
In preparation
for the project’s implementation, Allorde said the PCA office in Masbate, in
partnership with local government units (LGUs), is establishing two seedling
farms, from where farmers could pick up the new planting materials.
Farmers will
also be provided with free fertilizers under the Salt Fertilization Project
(SFP), which uses locally sourced agricultural-grade salt (NaCl) in the DA’s
fertilization initiative under the Agrikulturang Pilipino (AgriPinoy) project.
AgriPinoy is
the department’s overall strategic framework that guides its various
agricultural-development services and programs for 2011 to 2016 and beyond.
Using NaCl or
common salt as fertilizer is a practical way of increasing coconut production.
Salt is the cheapest and best source of chlorine in increasing copra yield.
A PCA survey
conducted nationwide showed that at least 40 coconut-producing provinces are
severely chlorine-deficient.
Besides being
inexpensive, salt is also very easy to apply, accelerates crop growth and
development, increases copra weight and the number of nuts, minimizes leaf-spot
damage, and is environment-friendly.
Allorde said
Masbate LGUs are providing farmers with training on new approaches in coconut
production as a counterpart to the program.
He added that
ACPRP’s implementation in the province is continuing and the seedlings to be
distributed add to the over 95,000 already dispersed from late 2011 until last
year.
With annual
export earnings of US$2 billion, the coconut industry provides jobs to at least
a third of the country’s population. Its performance through the years has led
to its global recognition as a coconut leader.
The NCPP, which
covers the Participatory Coconut Planting Project (PCPP) and SFP, resolves to
promote immediate and long-term coconut development to address declining
coconut production, cope with increasing local and international markets’
demand for the crop, and reduce poverty in coconut-farming communities.
The PCPP aims
to plant 13 million coconut seedlings on new lands totaling 138,125 hectares
until 2016.
In 2011 3.11
million coconut seedlings were planted under this program. A fraction of these
will be used to produce coconut methyl ester or coco-biodiesel, a lighter fuel
that contains no odd-number carbon atom and is more volatile than diesel.
The Department
of Energy said that coco-biodiesel combusts more efficiently, increases engine
power and mileage, and reduces car emissions.
As the country
implements the 10-percent biofuel blend, market demand for coco-biodiesel and
other biofuels will continue to rise. Besides attaining energy security, the
development of coco-biodiesel in the country is expected to create an
additional 89,000 jobs for Filipinos and benefit 577,000 farming families.
About 32%, or
3.4 million hectares, of the country’s agricultural lands are planted with
coconut, according to a 2009 Bureau of Agricultural Statistics study.
The PCA is
using a different approach in planting this year by letting farmers, not just
the government’s field workers, do the work.
This is why the
program is called participatory, which is proving to be effective, given the
eagerness of farmers to help and be engaged in planting, owing to the economic
well-being they see in the project, Allorde said.
Increased
coconut production will benefit 65 of the country’s 79 provinces, as well as
the 25 million Filipinos who depend on the industry.
In Region 5 or
Bicol, which includes Masbate, about 40 percent of its over 5.7 million
population depend on the crop for their livelihood. - PNA
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