Tuesday, May 01, 2007 Cida pours P1.6M for DavOr coco project By Joy Romares-Sevilla
THE Canadian International Development Agency (Cida) has poured some P1.6 million for Coconut Husk Processing Business Incubation project in Davao Oriental, which has generated employment in the area.
Cida extended a total of P1,563,490 to the project from February 2005 to May 2007.
The income of the project has already helped finance the expansion of the coco coir processing plant, establishment of women productivity center, and the creation of a socialized health program for the beneficiaries.
The project, implemented by the Kalumonan Development Center in San Isidro, Davao Oriental, enhances its own initiative in providing livelihood to women farmers through the provision of skills training on coco coir-based handicraft making.
The project is also aimed at providing additional opportunities for coconut farmers through maximizing the use of coconut husks that are by-products of the traditional copra industry in the area.
Through the project, the proponent group is able to increase its capacity in buying coconut husks from coconut farmers and enhance its production of coco fibers and coco peat that they sold to its buyers who are mostly furniture makers in the region, nationwide, and abroad.
The capacity to produce more raw coconut husks also increased the farmers' income.
