Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. visited the Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries Enterprise (SAFE) Innovation Hub for Coconuts and other by-products in San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur on April 12, 2024.
The P230 million facility, funded by the Philippine Coconut Authority, aims to assist coconut farmers in the region, by serving as a trading hub and processing plant.
The hub is equipped with essential and modern facilties for the development of various coconut by-products including coconut water, virgin coconut oil, desiccated coconut/coco cream, flour, and distilled water among others.
The project is expected to uplift the lives and livelihood of farmers dependent on coconut by providing income generating opportunities and establishing various enterprise in the municipality, as well as nearby towns.
The coconut trading hub and processing center is located at the Bicol Food Terminal Complex, which will also house a food terminal, a processing center for fruits and vegetables, and a processing plant for virgin coconut oil, among others. ### (photos by Gian Carlo Luague, DA-AFID)
