COCONUT industry players across the country are set to convene during the Cocolink 2016 slated on July 27-28 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City.
Cocolink 2016, an international coconut conference, for this year will be centered on the theme: “Bridging Industries.”
Davao Region Coconut Industry Cluster, Inc. (DRCICI) chair Reynaldo Go said in a press statement that major issues confronting the industry will be tackled including the lack of access to direct credit, rehabilitation of farms, lack of seed varieties to result to higher yields, and low income farms.
“The event is a meeting of participating national and local government agencies and local government units (LGUs) that identify coconut as one of the county’s priority crops,” he said.
He underscored that to achieve the coconut industry sector in its 2011-2025 roadmap targeting to increase coconut production from 2.523 million metric tons (MT) to 3.330 million MT by 2025 will only be achieved provided that current problems besetting the industry are addressed.
According to the most-recent data of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the Philippines is ranking second in the world for coconut production.
“This proves the coconut industry is robust. Coconut is the country’s economic driver for years, considering the industry’s global value chain, the problems should be addressed and government’s assistance should be reinforced,” Go said.
Local and global partners in the coconut industry including government are expected to link together during the two-day conference to promote common interests and share best practices. This is aside to providing information on the opportunities of the industry from production to marketing.
Cocolink 2016 is jointly organized by the DRCICI, PCA, ACDI/VOCA, and the Departments of Trade Industry (DTI) and Agriculture (DA).
Hundreds are expected to attend the business gathering that highlights business matching sessions to pump prime the coconut industry.