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The Department of Agriculture wants to tap more coconut lands to
help boost the country’s food security.
According the Philippine Coconut Authority
Administrator Oscar Garin, coconut lands provides opportunities for
intercropping, which will help the country boost its food security.
“Our Plowable Intercropping Project aims to
turn coconut farms into veritable food mine by intercropping various
food crops,” he said.
The coconut agency is an attached agency of the
Agriculture department. The country has more than three million
hectares of land planted to coconut trees.
Agriculture experts said that upland rice, white
corn and vegetables can be planted between the idle spaces of
coconut land. Upland rice does not need to be inundated in water to
grow while white corn is consumed by nearly 15 million Filipinos as
their staple food.
Surprisingly, intercropping has not been widely
practiced by many coconut farmers, while some do it merely for their
food needs.
Garin said that the vigorous implementation the
intercropping project, the Salt Fertilization Project and the
Participatory Coconut Planting Project provides a most fitting
backdrop for this years’ coconut week celebration.
“We are celebrating for the coconut and at the
same time are working for the industry’s expansion and
development.”
The coconut agency is spearheading the holding
of the Seventh National Coconut Festival from August 7 to 10, which
will gather various stakeholders in the industry.
“We now call on all coconut industry
stakeholders to fully participate in the exhibits, trade fairs and
various special events lined up,” Garin said.
The Agriculture department is seeking to expand
the production of coconuts because there is still a growing market
for its products. Likewise, biodiesel from coconut is gaining
popularity.
“With increased production, we will have more
raw materials for processing, more coconut products to sell locally
and abroad, and thus more opportunities for wealth generation,”
Garin said.
The coconut agency is coordinating with
the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers with Filipino
delegations overseas to give the event global exposure.
-- Ira Karen Apanay
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