House panel vows to look into dwindling copra prices in the country
By CJ Juntereal
Published Oct 26, 2019 01:50 pm
By Charrisa Luci-Atienza
The House Committee on Agriculture and Food vowed yesterday to look into the "alarming" fall in the prices of copra (dried coconut meat) in the country.
House of Representatives (Congres PH)
Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga said they will tackle the resolutions seeking a House probe on the dwindling copra prices when Congress resumes sessions next month.
"It is a personal priority of mine. There is a pending resolution for inquiry on low copra prices filed last August. We are scheduled to take it up this November upon resumption,” he said in an interview.
Congress is in a month-long recess, and is expected to buckle down to work on November 4.
Enverga, one of the principal authors of the resolution, noted even before the congressional probe, said he already "discussed and exchanged ideas" with Agriculture Secretary William Dar regarding the issue.
“Truly challenging times for our farmers. The low prices of copra have been a problem for about four years running,” he said.
"We intend to look into the supply and value chain of copra and coconut,” he said.
Quezon Rep. David Suarez, and his wife, ALONA partylist Rep. Anna Marie Villaraza-Suarez, and his mother, Quezon Rep. Aleta Suarez filed a similar resolution, urging their colleagues to look into the "ominous downward trend" of copra prices.
They expressed concern that the farmgate price of copra decreased to P13.73 on the average, as of June 2019 from P20.34 in July 2018 or a decrease of P6.61 per kilogram.
Based on the 2018-2019 Monthly Report of the copra price trends, the average price of copra per kilogram at the mill gate in July 2018 is at P26.07, down to the current price of P25.72, as of June 2019, they noted.
"An investigation on this downward trend of copra prices is necessary to address the deterioration of the coconut industry, especially that it relates to generation of and for developmental programs, improvement of coconut farmer's income farm productivity, “ Rep. David Suarez said.
Under the resolution, the Suarezes said the surge of palm oil importation may be behind the continuous falling of copra farmgate prices.
"The volume of palm oil importation has significantly increased in the past years by almost 100 percent compared to 2016. Most of the palm oil reportedly came from Malaysia, and Indonesia which enjoy tariff-free rates based on the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, " they said.
They noted that the surge of palm oil importation causes the shift of the demand from coconut oil to palm oil due to the cheaper price of the latter.
"This, in turn, injures the coconut industry with the continuous falling of copra farmgate prices to compete with the price of palm oil and the concurrent oversupply of copra, " according to the two page-resolution.
The Department of Agriculture had sought the suspension of the importation of palm oil due to the continuous lowering of copra prices.
"Concerned government agencies should look into this issue and consider reevaluating the importation of palm oil for a more equitable playing field for domestic coconut producers, " the Suarezes said.
During the previous 17th Congress, Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo E. Suarez filed House Resolution No. 2519, calling on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to stop the importation of palm oil to protect the coconut industry.
House of Representatives (Congres PH)
Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga said they will tackle the resolutions seeking a House probe on the dwindling copra prices when Congress resumes sessions next month.
"It is a personal priority of mine. There is a pending resolution for inquiry on low copra prices filed last August. We are scheduled to take it up this November upon resumption,” he said in an interview.
Congress is in a month-long recess, and is expected to buckle down to work on November 4.
Enverga, one of the principal authors of the resolution, noted even before the congressional probe, said he already "discussed and exchanged ideas" with Agriculture Secretary William Dar regarding the issue.
“Truly challenging times for our farmers. The low prices of copra have been a problem for about four years running,” he said.
"We intend to look into the supply and value chain of copra and coconut,” he said.
Quezon Rep. David Suarez, and his wife, ALONA partylist Rep. Anna Marie Villaraza-Suarez, and his mother, Quezon Rep. Aleta Suarez filed a similar resolution, urging their colleagues to look into the "ominous downward trend" of copra prices.
They expressed concern that the farmgate price of copra decreased to P13.73 on the average, as of June 2019 from P20.34 in July 2018 or a decrease of P6.61 per kilogram.
Based on the 2018-2019 Monthly Report of the copra price trends, the average price of copra per kilogram at the mill gate in July 2018 is at P26.07, down to the current price of P25.72, as of June 2019, they noted.
"An investigation on this downward trend of copra prices is necessary to address the deterioration of the coconut industry, especially that it relates to generation of and for developmental programs, improvement of coconut farmer's income farm productivity, “ Rep. David Suarez said.
Under the resolution, the Suarezes said the surge of palm oil importation may be behind the continuous falling of copra farmgate prices.
"The volume of palm oil importation has significantly increased in the past years by almost 100 percent compared to 2016. Most of the palm oil reportedly came from Malaysia, and Indonesia which enjoy tariff-free rates based on the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, " they said.
They noted that the surge of palm oil importation causes the shift of the demand from coconut oil to palm oil due to the cheaper price of the latter.
"This, in turn, injures the coconut industry with the continuous falling of copra farmgate prices to compete with the price of palm oil and the concurrent oversupply of copra, " according to the two page-resolution.
The Department of Agriculture had sought the suspension of the importation of palm oil due to the continuous lowering of copra prices.
"Concerned government agencies should look into this issue and consider reevaluating the importation of palm oil for a more equitable playing field for domestic coconut producers, " the Suarezes said.
During the previous 17th Congress, Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo E. Suarez filed House Resolution No. 2519, calling on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to stop the importation of palm oil to protect the coconut industry.