THE coconut industry needs to move beyond raw production and focus more on value-adding, stronger enterprises and wider market access to improve incomes for farmers and entrepreneurs, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry- Central Visayas (DTI 7) said.
DTI 7 Assistant Regional Director Epifania Suralta said market access and enterprise development are crucial to helping coconut farmers become “coco entrepreneurs” capable of developing higher-value products, building brands and reaching new markets.
“Producing is only one part of the equation. We also need to create markets,” Suralta said in her opening remarks at the 2026 Coco Negosyo–Cebu Coconut Market Expo, held as part of the 40th National Coconut Week.
The four-day expo at the Ayala Center Cebu features 25 exhibitors at the Coco Bazaar, giving coconut-based enterprises an opportunity to showcase products, meet consumers and develop market linkages.
Suralta said the exhibitors are coconut farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) vetted under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), with farmers registered under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System.
The CFIDP is a government program aimed at strengthening the coconut industry and improving the livelihoods of coconut farmers and their communities.
For DTI, its role under the program focuses on research, marketing and market promotion, helping ensure that coconut products are developed and connected to buyers and consumers.
“The future of the coconut industry will not only depend on how much coconut we produce. It will also depend on how much value we can create from it,” Suralta said.
She said the agency would continue helping coconut enterprises improve their market readiness through trade fairs, business matching, market promotion and other platforms.
DTI also supports coconut and other agricultural enterprises through its Negosyo Centers, One Town, One Product Philippines program, Shared Service Facilities and entrepreneurship and mentoring programs.
These programs help MSMEs improve product quality, packaging, branding, standards, pricing, digital marketing and production capabilities, she said.
“Market access must be accompanied by capability,” Suralta said, adding that enterprises must be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
The expo includes a techno forum, training sessions on costing and marketing, online marketing, cooperative business development and a Women Farmers Forum, as well as a coconut painting activity.
Suralta said these activities are intended to bring together production, enterprise development, capability building, innovation and market access.
The event also highlights the potential for value-added coconut products across food and beverages, personal care, household products, materials and other applications.
Suralta said government agencies cannot develop the industry alone and called for continued cooperation among the Philippine Coconut Authority, DTI, Agricultural Training Institute, Cooperative Development Authority, local governments, cooperatives, farmers, entrepreneurs, academe, the private sector and consumers.
She also urged consumers to support local coconut enterprises, saying purchases help sustain farmers, entrepreneurs, families and communities.
As the country marks the 40th National Coconut Week, Suralta said DTI-Central Visayas would continue working with industry stakeholders to help coconut enterprises “produce better, innovate more, access wider markets, and build sustainable businesses.”
“Let us continue to transform the coconut industry—from a source of raw materials into a source of greater value, stronger enterprises, better incomes, and more sustainable livelihoods,” she said. / KOC