MORE than 100 coconut farmers, cooperatives, and micro enterprises from across Mindanao will gather in Davao City from Sept. 10 to 13 for the inaugural Coconut Philippines Mindanao 2026 Trade Fair at Ayala Malls Abreeza.
The four-day event aims to generate P30 million in combined cash, booked and negotiated sales, said Maria Victoria Placer, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao del Sur provincial director and DTI-Davao coconut focal person.
Placer made the announcement Monday during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at SM City Davao.
Organized with the Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation Inc., the fair carries the theme “Endless Opportunities of Coconut” and will feature about 30 exhibitors showcasing food and nonfood products made from coconut.
Products will range from coconut sugar and syrups to cosmetics and coconut water.
Placer said DTI wants to help traditional copra farmers become “cocopreneurs” who can earn more by processing coconut into higher-value products under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).
"Knowing that coconut has been a traditional product and they're used to just producing copra, uling (charcoal), and coconut oil, we want to develop new products which can be promoted to the market," Placer said. "We want to develop more coconut products like coconut water kasi (because) we even consider that as an electrolyte.”
Eyeing export markets
Placer said coconut products have strong growth potential in international markets, particularly in East Asia and the Middle East.
She cited growing demand for coconut milk and coconut water in China, where consumers increasingly seek plant-based dairy alternatives.
Placer, citing information shared by Philippine consular officials during last year's Shanghai trade fair, said up to 80 percent of China's population is lactose intolerant, potentially creating a large market for Philippine coconut processors.
But before local enterprises can tap those markets, they must overcome several barriers.
DTI-Davao said micro, small and medium enterprises continue to face high costs and other operational challenges in entering foreign supply chains.
These include meeting Food and Drug Administration requirements. Certificate of Product Registration fees can reach P75,000 per product, while export-related certifications such as Halal accreditation can cost up to P1 million.
Producers also face infrastructure constraints, including limited farm-to-market roads, and difficulties meeting the large container-volume requirements of overseas buyers.
Building ‘cocopreneurs’
To help address these challenges, DTI works with 15 government and industry partners under the CFIDP.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority provides technical training, while the National Dairy Authority helps farmers diversify their income through intercropping and livestock production.
Farmers can add high-value crops such as coffee and cacao to their coconut farms, creating additional sources of household income.
After the Abreeza trade fair, DTI-Davao will bring regional coconut enterprises to the Davao Agri-Trade Expo at the SMX Convention Center from Sept. 17 to 19.
The enterprises will also be featured at the upcoming China-Asean Expo in Nanning, China, giving Mindanao's coconut producers more opportunities to find buyers and expand into export markets. GRS
