International coco gathering in Davao City
LOCAL and international experts in the coconut industry are set to discuss with coconut farmers and other stakeholders the present issues, concerns and global opportunities for the industry during the international coconut conference dubbed as Cocolink 2016 set on July 27 to 29 at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, Davao City.
Cocolink 2016, an international coconut conference, for this year will be centered on the theme: “Bridging Industries.”
Local and international experts will tackle on issues like lack of access to direct credit, rehabilitation of farms, lack of seed varieties to result to higher yields, and low income farms.
Dr. Uron Salum, executive director of Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) will give updates on the industry’s global reach, and Rex Buac, regional manager of the Philippine Coconut Authority Region 11 will give an overview on the industry’s performance in the country.
Also, Anders Haagen of India will talk on the coconut seedling production in their country.
He is representative of DEEJAY Farms in the Philippines, a farm known as the world’s trendsetter in coconut seedling production and Deejay Hybrids are considered the ‘trees of life” of the Indian Coconuts farmers. It produces the highest quality hybrid coconut seedling with the highest productivity.
Chef Chino San Jose, for his part, will showcase a culinary demo for coconut as tree of life. The Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao, Inc. (Cidami) Executive Director, Valente Turtur will present the Cidami Model on coconut –based farm diversification.
As coconut has become highly in demand worldwide, industry stakeholders intend to maximize the industry’s growth by including the topic on coconut-based farming system and income diversification to form a special slot in the three-day conference.
International consultant Ayyamani Jagadish of Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading supplier of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products and international expert on cacao-coconut intercropping will also share strategies on cacao and coconut intercropping.
With the demand for coconut supply here and abroad, coconut stakeholders will hear significant inputs from another expert, Dr. Melvin Carlos, director of the Technology Transfer and Promotion Division Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). He will talk on coconut mass production through somatic embryogenesis.
Davao Region Coconut Industry Cluster, Inc. (DRCICI) chair Reynaldo Go said, 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.
“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.
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.
On July 29, the group will hold the 3rd National Coco Coir Summit with theme “Expanding Opportunities for Coco Coir through Technology and Innovations.” (ASP)