MANILA, Philippines -- The latest developments in the coconut industry will be showcased during the 10th Coconut Festival which will be held at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City on August 25-28.

The event will highlight the versatility of the cotonut through exhibits of various food and non-food products and byproducts by traders from all over the country, said PCA Administrator Euclides G. Forbes.

He said that this year’s celebration will provide a venue for information sharing, trading and market matching activities which will promote business opportunities from the coconut to attest that indeed the coconut is the Tree of Life.

There will be free lectures on the latest technology and product updates.

One focus of the festival will be the opportunities in utilizing the coconut husk for making into geotextiles and organic fertilizers. According to Agriculture Sec. Proceso J. Alcala, the country could generate revenues of at least $225 million annually by processing the husks into these high-value products.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coco Coir Exporters Association (Philcoir) headed by Ariel Aguirre has presented a position paper that will ensure the sustainability of the industry. The group has aired some serious concerns.

The group urged the government to ensure that coconut trees around the country remain healthy, strong and high-yielding. Fertilization of coconut trees – using, among others, coco peat or coir dust, must be a high priority program. The use of coco peat as an ideal soil conditioner for coconut farms resulting in higher yields has long been proven in research in India and Sri Lanka.

The group noted that coco coir dust has also been found in the Philippines to be a good soil conditioner as well as primary raw material for making organic fertilizer.

Philcoir has also expressed concern about the supply of coconut husk. In recent months, the members of the organization have been encountering difficulty in procuring enough husks.

The group said that they have observed foreigners, notably Korean, Japanese and Chinese investors entering the countryside. They set up decorticating plants, and have been operating these plants by themselves in violation of pertinent laws, rules and regulations pertaining to immigration, internal revenue, registration requirements of the PCA and Fiber Industry Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local governments, etc.

The group cited one instance that affected one of their members. A foreign investor put up a plant right beside the Philcoir member’s plant in Lupi, Camarines Sur. This has rendered it uneconomical for both plants to process husks without entering into a price war for husks or raising the cost of hauling the husk from distant sources.

The association said that several foreigners – Korean, Japanese and Chinese – have established and now operate decorticating plants in Sta. Maria, Davao del Sur. The high concentration of decorticating plants in one area has resulted in heavy competition for the limited supply of husks in Sta. Maria and nearby areas. This has resulted in higher buying price for husks which could render operations unprofitable.

One possible way the government can help increase the supply of husks is for the national and local governments to construct or improve roads leading to and from coconut farms, particularly those of marginalized coconut farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries. The provision of roads to these small producers will give them access to the growing market for coconut husks.