Saturday, October 06, 2007 Will coconut gain agri dominance again? By Henrylito D. Tacio
DON'T consider coconut industry on the verge of disappearance yet. In fact, the government is doing its best to make coconut again as one of the country's top agriculture earners.
"The coconut industry is a pillar of Philippine agriculture," notes Senator Edgardo J. Angara, former secretary of agriculture.
"It is the oldest and most strategic industry in the country, comprising 1.14 percent of our Gross Domestic Product, or as much as US$760 million. Our country leads the world in coconut production, dominating more than half of the global market. Coconut itself is the top agricultural export of the Philippines, reaping annual revenue of US$631.5 million from exports."
But despite this, coconut industry is seems to be neglected. But is it really?
"The coconut industry might not have been neglected," Oscar G. Garin, the administrator of Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), was quoted as saying. "But it's the situation that really made it very hard for the farmers because in the early days, the price of coconut was really very low."
The current tagline of PCA, the sole government agency tasked to develop the industry to its full potential, is "May bilog sa niyog." In other words, there is money in coconut.
"It's more okay now than before," Garin said. "The price of coconut now is better. The market or the price determines the stability or viability of whatever industry."
History records showed that the first impetus to coconut cultivation in the Philippines was given during the Spanish occupation. An edict was passed in 1867 by which every Filipino family was compelled to plant at least 200 square feet to coconuts.
In 1970, Dr. Jasper Guy Woodroof wrote in his book, 'Coconuts: Production, Processing, Products,' "The coconut industry is the premier dollar-producing industry in the Philippines... More than one-third of the population depended on the coconut industry for livelihood."
Is this still true today? Of the 12 million hectares of farmlands in the country, 3.1 million hectares are devoted to coconuts, according to PCA.
There are around 324 million coconuts trees in 79 provinces, about 85 percent of which are considered productive. Although there are only 3.5 million coconut farmers, about 25 million Filipinos are directly or indirectly dependent on the industry.
In the past, coconut water was the "in thing." During World War II, Japanese used coconut water to rehydrate wounded patients when there was a shortage of sterile glucose.
Coconut water is good for people with kidney problems. One Filipino doctor claimed that "two glasses of fresh buko juice every day can reduce one's chance of having kidney or ureter stones."
Daily 'bucolysis' -- renoculsis with 'buko' juice -- result in a 10% reduction in size of all kidney stones.
Diabetics can also benefit from drinking coconut water. PCA informs: "Potassium content of water is remarkably high at all nut ages. Together with sodium and phosphorus, potassium content also tends to increase with the ages of the coconut to peak at nine months. This characteristic of coconut water makes it a very good drinking water for diabetics. Diabetics waking from a coma recover quickly after drinking coconut water."
A joint study by the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital and the Department of Science and Technology found that coconut water from 9-month old nuts could be safely injected into a healthy person.
But here's a warning: Patients with weak kidneys may not be able to tolerate high doses of fluid due to its high potassium content. This can lead to heart attack.
Coconut water has been used for centuries as a remedy for a lot of ailments. Occasionally by itself, or often mixed with coconut milk, it has been used to treat intestinal worms and relives stomach and urinary problems.
It is also said to diminish rashes caused by smallpox, chickenpox, and measles. It is also thought to be beneficial to the skin.
Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old natural medicine from India, uses coconut oil/products as antiseptic, astringent, gargle for sores, gum strengthener, balm for ear aches/stomach aches, syphilis, gonorrhea, smallpox, leprosy, intestinal parasites, ringworm, and skin ulcers, among others.
Coconut milk, which is made from water and grated coconut meat, is indispensable in some food preparations: Indian jhinga molee, Malaysian curries, Fijian kokoda, Filipino ginataang bilo-bilo, Samoan lu'au, piri-piri'chicken from Mozambique, Brazilian vatapa, and Caribbean coo-coo.
