To provide alternative livelihood and enable increased income and higher productivity amidst the low value of copra , the Department of Agriculture (DA) committed assistance to the coconut growers of Gumaca, Quezon during the launching of a coconut model farm in the Brgy. Panikihan on May 7, 2019.
To attain this goal, Agriculture Secretary Manny F. Piñol pledged a P50-million (M) standby fund under the Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) program managed by the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) to the Gumaca coco growers. A maximum of P50,000 loan may be accessed by the farmers under PLEA, following assessment and validation from loan officers of ACPC and its conduit banks, and a financial literacy training program.
In his message, the agriculture chief stressed that the plunge in the prices of copra is affected by the decrease in oil price in the world market.
“We do not have control over this,” he explained.
Piñol announced that he has already made recommendations to address this problem. This includes banning the entry of palm oil coming from Malaysia and Indonesia and increasing the coconut oil component in biodiesel.
However, the Secretary stressed that these plans of action will still undergo further evaluation to avoid negative economic repercussions to the country.
As such, the Department has readied solutions to provide coco growers alternative income such as the promotion of coconut water as an energy drink.
“We produce around 15 billion of nuts every year. If half of our population will drink coco water at least once a week, that means roughly 216 million coconuts in a month,” he explained.
“Mababawasan ang oversupply ng copra and prices will stabilizes,” he further explained.
He urged farmers to plant other cash crops and raise livestock and other poultry under the trees.
“Hindi dapat bakante sa ilalim ng mga puno, you may plant cacao, coffee, abaca and sorghum,” he said.
“Go and venture into the processing and value-adding of coconut. There are other products aside from copra,” Piñol added.
The Secretary added that the problem with the coconut industry lies in the years of neglect, and the inability of the previous governments to raise awareness and campaign for the production and processing of other products that may be derived from the tree of life.
“Under this administration, we will transform our farmers into processors and traders and not be stucked as mere producers of raw materials. There is more to agriculture than planting,” he said.
Aside from financial assistance, the Department will be providing a Solar-Powered Irrigation System to the Gumaca model farm to ensure sufficient water supply for the four-hectare lot.
The farm, which will serve as a show-window of Smart Agriculture Coconut-Based Farming System, will also be provided a P3.5M-worth of coconut processing hub that will enable farmers to bottle and package their coco water.
“There is no immediate solution to the problem of low copra prices. However, we will find long-term solutions including the drafting of a coconut industry road map to address the needs of the sector, and provide interventions to the recurring problems,” Piñol said. ### (Oda Rodriguez, DA-AFID)
