While government efforts to revitalize the coconut industry have yet to bear fruit, Cabinet Secretary Benjamin Abalos pushed for government support for farmers who rely on the high-value crop.
Abalos made the statement during the 40th National Coconut Week and Coconut Stakeholders’ Congress in Pasay City last Friday.
In 2024, the Marcos administration approved an additional P3.5 billion for the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) which aims boost the country’s coconut production through planting and fertilization initiatives since many of the country’s 340 million coconut trees are already aging or senile.
The CFIDP, which was updated last year, is once again under review so it can help improve ‘farm productivity and expand coconut processing in rural communities.’
It aims to address issues including aging trees, pests and diseases, extreme weather, low farm productivity, low farmer incomes, unstable prices, limited processing and the need to balance domestic and export demand.
‘While we wait for the new tree to bear fruit, the farmer’s family should not have to wait to earn an income,’ Abalos said in Filipino.
He proposed making government programs on intercropping, livestock, livelihood, skills training, financing and enterprise development more accessible to coconut farmers.
To help reduce revenue losses for the said farmers, Abalos also called for better surveillance and faster action against the coconut pests, such as rhinoceros beetle, coconut scale insect, which is commonly known as ‘cocolisap.’
‘We cannot invest in millions of new trees only to lose them to infestations that could have been detected and contained earlier.’
Mitigating the risks of coconut trees from the effects of climate change, he said, should also be addressed by the government.
Abalos said this can be done by planting better varieties of coconut trees, improved farming methods and giving farmers better water access, insurance and disaster preparedness.
The Philippines is the world’s second-largest coconut producer, with around 14.77 million metric tons produced in 2024.