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BY Chino S. Leyco, Reporter
PHILIPPINES’ export of coconut
product in April achieved double-digit increases, as half of the
total shipments were transferred to Europe, industry data showed
Monday.
In a preliminary data, United
Coconut Associations of the Philippines said the country’s export
of coconut products in April rose 13.4 percent year on year to
193,763 metric tons copra terms from 170,941 metric tons.
Of major exports, only desiccated
coconut showed reduced shipment while the rest achieved double-digit
increases from respective year-ago levels.
Coconut oil hiked 18.9 percent to
108,771 metric tons from 91,515 metric tons, and copra meal shot up
57.7 percent to 32,841 metric tons from 20,822 metric tons.
Oleochemical, meanwhile, grew
42.2 percent to 10,052 metric tons from 7,067 metric tons, and
desiccated coconut shrank 40.6 percent to 7,153 metric tons from
12,038 metric tons.
In January to April this year,
total export is at 644,126 metric tons, with copra soaring 53.2
percent from 420,534 metric tons in the same period last year.
UCAP said 50.1 percent, or 54,450
metric tons of total export in April was destined for Europe, while
the United States took in 28.3 percent to 30,811 metric tons and
China handled 15.6 percent to 16,960 metric tons.
Other markets such as India and
Japan were responsible for 4,000 metric tons and 2,550 metric tons,
respectively.
Korea remained the leading buyer
of Philippine copra meal accounting for 71.2 percent to 23,381
metric tons of total delivery.
Similarly, Vietnam remained the
second biggest importer with 5,694 metric tons, tracked by Japan
with 3,500 metric tons and New Zealand 266 metric tons.
The National Statistics Office
earlier reported that the country’s total export earnings in March
slipped 6.8 percent to $4.181 billion from $4.487 billion in the
same period last year.
The March performance caused
first-quarter exports to inch up by 2.7 percent to $12.524 billion
from $12.201 billion in the same three-month period last year. This
is slower than the government’s full-year target of an 8-percent
expansion.
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