President Marcos pledged his full support to the Philippine Coconut Authority’s (PCA) goal to plant 100 million coconut trees in a bid to propel the nation to the forefront of global coconut exports.
The Chief Executive held a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council-Agriculture Sector Group (PSAC-ASG) on Wednesday to discuss their recommendations on enhancing the Philippine coconut industry and other agricultural ventures.
Christopher Po, a member of the PSAC Agricultural Sector Group representing Century Pacific Group, talked about expediting the massive coconut tree planting program by increasing seednut production.
President Marcos assured sufficient funding allocation for the PCA to execute the initiative, recognizing the vast economic potential it holds for the nation.
“This is really a great opportunity [for] the country. We have a chance to do it because [of] the market. Every single part of the nut [has] use and can be sold,” he said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
Despite the Philippines being the world’s second-largest coconut exporter after Indonesia, limited funding poses a challenge to realize the 100 million tree goal before the end of the Marcos administration.
To address this, the advisory body proposed several measures. Among these is to develop a roadmap for the PCA to accelerate the coconut planting program. It was also tasked to engage in contract farming with local salt producers to boost fertilizer supply.
PSAC intends to harness local salt production to enhance agricultural productivity and profitability for farmers, in line with the Philippine Salt Industry Act.
With a proposed budget of P2.5 billion, it aims to fertilize 55 million coconut trees, doubling local salt production and increasing nut productivity by 25 percent in the process.
For 2024, the PCA targets the replanting of 8.5 million coconut seedlings across 59,744 hectares. It also intends to fertilize 2.8 million trees in 28,341 hectares of land.
Meanwhile, PSAC wants the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to pilot areas for salt production. It also urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a roadmap for the gradual implementation of the Biodiesel Act, increasing biodiesel from B2 to B59 over three years.
The gradual transition from B2 to B59 biodiesel blends, as proposed by the DOE, aims for greater energy self-sufficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions, with the initial one percent blend increase slated for August 2024.