Friday, January 15, 2010

Loren urges full dev't of coco industry

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA, CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD, URGED LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUS) IN LAGUNA TO CONTINUE IN ITS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AND DEVELOP THE COCONUT INDUSTRY WHICH IS THE MAJOR ECONOMIC MOVER IN THE REGION.

Loren aired the call as the City of San Pablo celebrates a weeklong festival called The Coco Festival. The week-long festivity is held to promote the city’s main produce - the coconut.

“I urge the LGU to continue its eco-tourism program like the Coco Festival which not only promotes the City of San Pablo but also highlights the coconut industry. The coconut industry remains a leader in the country’s predominantly agricultural economy,” Loren said.

“Every year, there are new and exciting products that can be derived from coconut. Local businesses do not have to focus on buko pie shops because they can also engage in other coconut products which are also profitable like virgin coconut oil (VCO). I would like to see the LGU and even the local businessmen explore the investment options that can be offered by coconuts,” Loren said.

“I am encouraging Mayor Vicente B. Amante to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and seek the department’s help so that farmers in the region could avail of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) in further developing the coconut industry,” the lady senator said.

Loren, who also chairs the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM), noted that the coconut has maintained its position as the top agricultural crop exported in various forms, either as food or non-food classified as traditional or non-traditional, to 130 countries. The local coconut industry has an annual average exports income of $800 million.

The Philippine Coconut Authority reported that in 1979, 1995 and 2007, the country’s coconut exports reached the $1 billion level. The local coconut industry employs 23 million Filipinos, 3.4 million of whom are farmers. The country nurtures 324 million coconut trees planted on 3.1 million hectares of land.

The PCA also reported that there are various value-adding products that have been introduced such as coco sugar, coconut honey, coco vodka, coco lip balm, VCO blended essences, perfumes, skin moisturizer, VCO shampoo and many others.

“I urge extension workers in the region to help small coconut farmers access credit and increase their income by organizing or conducting seminars and workshops on processing of various products derived from coconut as well as on how to prevent and control pest and diseases affecting coconut plantations,” Loren said.

The PCA likewise announced that productivity of 10 million more coconut trees has been enhanced through a process called Salt Fertilization.

Loren reported that the PCA is spearheading a campaign among farmers to fertilize their coconut farms with two kilos of salt per tree per year for three years to increase thickness of coconut meat and also increase the number of nuts harvested. The procedure also makes coconut trees resistant to drought, pest and diseases.

10 comments:

  1. oo nga madame loren magnda tlgang i pursue ung coconut tree plantation sa pilipinas di lang po sa laguna pati po sa quezon madami pong coconut nanininwala po ako na mgagawa nyo pong isaktuparan ito

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  2. kung mas gagamitin natin ung mga natural resources natin ng mahusay mas malaki ang matutyulong nito sa bayan sa ekonomiya natin

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  3. the promotion of the coconut industry will help the community to produce more job opportunities.

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  4. Agree ako sa mga plano niyo sen. Loren. Dapat ngang pinapalago yung mga natural resources ng pilipinas at gingawang way to para mapagkuhanan ng hanap buhay at makabuo ng indsutria at turismo.

    Yayaman ang mga pilipino kung napapalago lang naten ang mga natural resources natin at binibgyan pansin naten paano ito pagkakakitaan.
    Maraming paraan para maging busog at hitik sa yaman ang pinas at ang mga pilipino. nasa kalikasan naman lahat siguradong hindi tau magugutom.
    Dapat lang talga ang goyerno binigyang pansin ung mga natural resources naten. kaya i agree with sen. Loren's plan about the coconut industry.

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  5. Im sure, if sen. Loren will win the VP position for the coming elections, she will pursue her plans about the coconut industry and other natural resources in the Philippines.

    I am confident that her plans are concrete and feasible. That is why voting a passionate environmentalist is a good thing, because she will focus on the natural resources the Philippines have, and we can construct a industry that is able to give us jobs and able to promote Filipino goods and tourism.

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  6. Magaling ang idea na ito at maraming matutuwa at matutulungan, kaya oks ako dito sa mga plano na ganito. Madaling intindihin at sa tingin ko ay mangayayari talga at pwedeng gawin.

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  7. "the coconut-nut is a giant nut but if you eat too much you'll get very faaaatttttttt"

    yung gnitong klase ng projects malikng tulong sa mga lugar n ang stple product ay coconut liki laguna and quezon para nmn atleast yung mga kababayan natin dun kahit pa2no ma2lungan mapaunld ung bhay nila

    maga2mit na natin ang ntural resources ntin mas ga2an pa buhay natin.dba?

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  8. okidoki tlga toh magamit ndin ung bukuhan nmin dito sa pagbilao

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  9. as i heard nga po last sunday na nagtaninm na po kayo ng madamiong puno and sobrang malaking tulong na po un saatin po sen loren.. yan pa po mga coconuts madami din pong tulong yan....

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  10. Wag nating sayangin ang mga likas na yaman na ibinigay sa atin ng Panginoon at gamitin natin ito ng maayos at para sa ikauunlad ng ating bayan at ng buong sambayanang Pilipino

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