Group eyes educating more coco farmers
THE Davao Region Coconut Industry Cluster, Inc. (DRCICI) is determined to bring back coconut productivity in the region through a wider education of the coconut farmers, in response to the decreasing hectarage of coconut plantations in Davao Region.
During the 1st International Coconut Conference and Trade Expo (ICCTE) done last year, there had been several by-products of coconuts displayed, which according to DRCICI staff Xycris Foerzas, show the great opportunities for the coconut industry as far as value-added products are concerned. Some of these are coco sugar, coco syrup, coconut water, and virgin coconut oil.
“There are a lot of opportunities for the coconut industry. The demand is getting higher but the supply is getting weaker. Through decades of operating coconut plantations, the Philippines has one of the highest poverty incident among coconut farmers. This has been prevalent, not only in Davao Region but also those other coconut plantations in the Philippines,” said Foerzas.
According to the data they got from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Davao Region has a total area of 370,000 hectares of coconut plantation in 2012 but was then reduced to only 350,000 hectares after five years due to drought which happened summer of 2016.
Foerzas said it takes coconuts five to seven years to fully grow. Since the farmers could not wait this long for income, they resort to planting other fruit-bearing plants which include bananas. Still others convert their lands into residential areas.
“What we want now is for the farmers to find that their business is profitable. Farming is not just farming, but that farming is actually a business. We design talks on intercropping, for example. This is just so they have other income and that the space of land in between the coconuts would not go to waste,” Foerzas said.
During their 2nd ICCTE on November 7 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, Davao City, they target to also discuss climate-smart agriculture which would teach farmers ways and models that would make them adapt to new weather conditions.