Saving the PH coconut industry

http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/hunger/61596-save-ph-coconut-industry-empower-farmers
LOS BAOS, Philippines The coconut trees are dying and the industry is under threat.
The Philippine coconut industry is an export-oriented sector, according to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). It has about 3.5 million
coconut farmers and 26% of the countrys agricultural land is devoted to coconut farming alone.
This industry also contributes an annual average of 5.97% to the countrys gross value added (GVA) and 1.14% to gross domestic product
(GDP), PCA statistics showed.
Coconut regions though one of the most productive industries host the largest number of rural poor.
Around 60% of the sectors farmers and workers live below the poverty line, according to CODE-NGO, a coalition of Philippine development
civil society organizations.
Problems vary from poor farm management practices, natural calamities, land conversion, as well as pest and diseases, the Philippine
Institute for Development Studies stressed.
Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) which devastated several islands in the Visayas in 2013 damaged around 15 million coconut trees.
In 2014, another calamity hit the industry a pest breakout almost wiped out the coconut trees in Region IV-A.
Cocolisap
The Coconut Scale Insect (CSI) commonly known as Cocolisap infested coconut trees around Central Luzon.
Cocolisap is a common coconut pest. It was first detected in 2010 and experts identified it as a local species.
Preventive measures have been applied after its identification, but the insects thrived and more than a million coconut trees were infested.
Researchers started to re-investigate the situation.
Cocolisap looks like fish scales and has the ability to reproduce every 9 days for a month. It is commonly found under coconut leaves.
Local species usually thrive during the dry season and die during the rainy period. This, on the other hand, is no ordinary species.
Early this year, a researcher from the University of the Philippines Los Baos went to Indonesia to get Cocolisap samples and validated the
pests identity through DNA testing.
The results were positive. Hence, a different approach was developed to manage the pest.
Fighting pest
The university has been the source of scientific information that has guided the PCA on its operations against Cocolisap.
In 2012, UPLBs College of Agriculture proposed an action project for Batangas to control its Cocolisap infestation.
In 2013, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala granted the university a P2-million research fund research on mitigation measures.

QUICK RESPONSE. Analysis of leaf samples at the Crop Science Cluster of the
College of Agriculture at UPLB. Photo by Karl CadapanUPLB then came up with a method of conducting delimiting survey which helped the PCA to

rapidly identify Cocolisap infestations at an early stage while the leaves are still green.
Samples are transported and analyzed at UPLB, and results are then forwarded to PCA, which then sends a quick response team if results
prove to be positive.
Mapping the infestation also led to the identification of 3 zones:

Outbreak areas where infestations need massive control

Non-outbreak areas where infestation is starting
High risk areas

Farmer empowerment

The massive treatment of Cocolisap in Region IV-A began on June 20, 2014.
Simultaneous pruning and trunk injection was done in highly affected provinces of Quezon, Batangas, Cavite and Laguna.
The treatment will last for 6 months until all infected areas are covered.
The pesticide will stay in the coconuts system for 55-60 days. Beyond that, the nuts can be safely harvested, Dr Celia Medina, head of the
ULBC Crop Protection Cluster, explained.
Local farmers were also briefed about the treatment.

EMPOWER FARMERS. Dr Susan Bacud, Head of the UPLB Extension Division of

the Crop Science Cluster, in dialogue with farmers and local government officials in Laguna.Agricultural competitiveness is not just about the number of

developed technologies or methods; it should be stakeholder-oriented too, Dr Susan Bacud, an expert in community pest management,
said.
Technology is very important, but the farmers themselves who will use the technology should also be highlighted, Bacud added.
Farmers should be prepared in terms of calamities and pest outbreaks. They can be empowered to conduct their own pest management
strategies. They need to be constantly informed.
She suggested that an important scheme to control pests is hasty reporting.
Once a pest species is noticed, farmers should be able to easily communicate with agriculture technicians and researchers. Reporting is one
way to prevent outbreaks and farmers should be able to do that.
The end goal of agricultural technology, according to Bacud, should be farmer empowerment. Rappler.com
Maribeth Jadina works at UPLB.
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Philippine Coconut Products Export Down in June (http://ucap.org.ph/news-and-events/philippinecoconut-products-export-down-in-june/)

Official figures show Philippine export of coconut products modestly dropped by 7.9% in June
to 123,674 MT in copra terms from 134,214 MT in a similar month a year ago. Gross export
receipts, however, rocketed 57.2% to USD161.958 million from USD103.026 million driven by
high prices.
Coconut oil accounted for much of the decline with total at 65,717 MT dropping 9.2% year-onyear from 72,411 MT. A far steeper fall was revealed in copra meal with shortfall of 46.5% at
37,272 MT from 69,666 MT, trailed by oleochemicals which scaled back shipment by 38.6% at
3,086 MT as copra from 5,029 MT. This contrasted with desiccated coconut which saw export
leap by 13.8% to 10,488 MT from 9,215 MT. Delivery of 60 MT of copra was recorded during
the month as against nil last year. Other products performed as follows, in MT: coco shell
charcoal 7,543 (+75.6% from 4,295 last year), activated carbon 5,135 (+18.2% from 4,346),
glycerin 3,181 (+107.5% from 1,533), fresh coconuts 398 (+55.2% from 256), Others 6,854
(+58.3% from 4,329).
Export for the first semester of this year accumulated to 678,485 MT in copra terms, a substantial
cutback by 41.4% from 1,158,174 MT at the same time last year. Revenue at USD851.984
million, however, depicted a flat growth from previous year at USD849.337 million. Breakdown
by volume is as follows: copra 212 (93 last year), coconut oil 349,126 (660,382), copra meal
269,097 (489,244), desiccated coconut 67,354 (61,804), oleochemicals as copra 19,971 (14,303);
coco shell charcoal 41,973 (29,239), activated carbon 29,611 (28,026), glycerin 16,247 (11,939),
fresh coconuts 916 (2,373), Others 39,124 (25,654).