Coconut farmers receive P350-million processing plant

More than P500 million worth of facilities and other interventions were turned over to farmers in Northern Mindanao.

This was part of a broader effort to boost coconut farmers’ income and productivity.

According to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), these include the P350-million integrated processing facility in Misamis Oriental. Also turned over was P201.6 million worth of farm machines.

The Misamis facility is part of the Solving Unemployment through Rural Industrialization and Sustainable (Sunrise).

Sunrise Project is a public-private partnership between the Department of Agriculture and the First Community Cooperative. The cooperative processes 60,000 coconuts a day.

The facility will produce coco pallets and coco boards from husks, activated carbon from shells and coconut flour.

It will also produce beverages from coconut water and sap, virgin coconut oil, premium cooking oil and coconut skim milk.

“Every part of the coconut—husk, shell, water, and meat, will be utilized. From waste to wealth, this is sustainability in action,” PCA administrator Dexter Buted said.

The facility intends to raise the farm-gate price of coconut to at least P16 to P18 per kilogram (kg). Currently, coconuts sell from P8 to P10 per kg when bought directly at the farm.

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Based on projections, this project could contribute to a 2- to 3-percent annual reduction in poverty in coconut farming communities.

The PCA said 65,962 coconut farmers and farmworkers are expected to benefit from the Sunrise Project. It will directly generate employment for at least 2,500 individuals.

One million coconut trees will be planted every year to replace aging and unproductive trees.

The PCA also said farm machinery amounting to over P201.6 million was distributed to regional farmers’ groups. These include rice and corn combine harvesters, four-wheel drive tractors, hauling trucks, processing facilities and mobile shredders.