TO ENCOURAGE more Filipino farmers to invest in the coconut industry in the country, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA)-Davao conducts more development projects.
Arnel Cabillan, PCA-Davao coconut production and regulation officer, said that the coconut farmers’ welfare in terms of financial gain is one of the primary goals which PCA’s programs continue to address.
“Importante talaga na mabigyan ng mga proyekto ang mga magsasaka ng niyog upang hindi rin humina ang industriya ng niyugan. Kaya kami sa PCA patuloy na gumagawa ng hakbang upang masiguro na may ani pa rin sa niyugan (It is important that we give projects to coconut farmers in order not to weaken the coconut industry. That’s why we from the PCA continue to create steps to secure that there is still coconut produce),” Cabillan said in an interview on Tuesday, September 18, at PCA Complex, Bago Oshiro, Davao City.
PCA continues to implement the Coconut Fertilization Project (CFP) which eyes to increase coconut production by 25 percent to 50 percent.
Based from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, Davao region produces 1,630,780 metric tons (MT) of coconut with husk. And Davao Oriental tops the roster as the highest coconut producing province with 666,056 MT.
The CFP comprises the use of agricultural grade salt (AGS) which costs P12.80 per tree or P1,280 per hectares (ha); and the use of AGS and coir-based organic fertilizer (CBOF) which costs P36.80/tree or P3,680/ha.
For farmers to avail the CFP, they must have 0.5 to 10 hectares of land area for AGS and 0.5 to 2 ha of land area for AGS+CBOF.
Another project of PCA is Kaanib Enterprise Development Project which eyes to increase farmer’s income by 50 percent. Interested coconut farmers who wish to avail of the project must be a member of registered coconut farmers’ organization or cooperative.