Lucena City—The creation of a coconut industry roadmap for Quezon will enable the province to address supply challenges and increase the income of planters, according to its top local official.
In an interview following the opening of the 2024 Niyogyugan Festival last Friday, Quezon Governor Helen Tan noted that the province is among the top producers of coconut in the Philippines, accounting for 10 percent of total supply nationwide.
However, Tan said the coconut industry of the province is currently grappling with a number of challenges, including the ill effects of El Niño.
She said the weather phenomenon compounded existing problems in the sector and that the roadmap will guide the future of Quezon province's coconut industry.
"We are lobbying for the creation of a coconut industry roadmap. An international organization has helped us map out the coconut industry in Quezon, and we've conducted consultations with major companies to focus on replanting, rehabilitation, and zoning," said Tan.
"Our local oil millers are struggling with supply, forcing them to outsource because there's no consistent roadmap. Farmers have diverse interests, so we need proper zoning to understand how much volume we need."
Tan said there is a need to focus on beefing up planting and rehabilitation efforts and properly designing the industry's future to ensure sustainable coconut production.
She said the roadmap will determine which areas are suitable for conversion, the number of farms dedicated to coco sugar and coco water production and prevent any sector from sacrificing the overall health of the coconut industry.
The provincial government of Quezon, in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), is conducting a study on the development of coconut industry growth areas in Quezon.
This initiative, which is expected to be completed by June 2025, aims to establish a value chain analysis and an agri-business model to increase productivity and income for local farmers.
Festival
In celebration of the annual Niyogyugan Festival, Tan underscored the importance of promoting local products and supporting farmers.
Tan said showcasing local goods is a key strategy for aiding farmers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province.
"You can see that we are showcasing local products here. This is one of our ways to help farmers promote their goods, which are sourced from our agricultural communities and MSMEs," Tan said.
This year's festival also marks a significant development—the registration of the Niyogyugan Foundation, according to Tan.
In the past, Tan said farmers had expressed their misgivings that they did not fully benefit from the celebration of the festival.
She said the foundation aims to address these concerns by ensuring that coconut farmers, who are integral to the festival's spirit, feel the direct impact of the event.
"Five percent of the sales during the festival will go to the foundation, which is managed by coconut farmers themselves. We also have a scholarship program focused on supporting farmers, fostering a culture of unity and mutual support."
With the theme "Tara na sa Quezon! Niyogyugan na," the week-long festival is set to showcase the rich culture, agricultural heritage, and tourism potential of the province.
The website of the provincial government indicated that Quezon has a total agricultural area of 4,167.6421 sq. km representing 47.87 percent of the total provincial land area as of 2023.
"The total area planted with coconuts covers 379,137.60 hectares, making Quezon the province with the largest coconut production area in the Philippines. Also, Quezon is the top coconut producing province in terms of total coconut production in the country with 1,493,066.64 metric tons [MT] in the year 2020."
Copra making is considered one of the largest income-generating agricultural activities in the province. However, with the volatile price of copra both in the local and international markets, the government has encouraged intercropping and multi-storey cropping to generate additional income for the coconut farmers.
Another major crop of the province is rice, covering a total area of 50,183.35 hectares. Rice production is placed at 194,269.99 MT with an average yield of 3.87 metric tons per hectare in 2021.
