Ranell Martin M. Dedicatoria, SEARCA KMU
16-May-2008 SEARCA News Release
That is, if they process the coconut into oil, wine, milk and desiccates.
Many studies have shown the potentials of the coconut industry but farmers continue to be poor. Dr. Pabuayon of the University of the Philippines Los Baņos (UPLB) studied how coconut trees and their products were transported from the farmers to the traders, processors, and finally to the consumers. She looked at the costs incurred with each transaction and factors affecting the market of coconut products.
She found that coconut farmers have low income because they only sell the raw materials, which is not readily marketable. There are also other constraints for the farmers to link with markets. Poor farm-to-market road system, lack of capital, and lack of information among others stand as blocks to profitable coconut industry. Thus, it is highly recommended that the coconut extension program be re-oriented towards a holistic package of services on technology, information, credit, market, and entrepreneurship.
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Facts and figures based on the Agriculture and Development Seminar Series titled Value Addition and Constraints in the Coconut Market Chain: Lessons Learned from Coconut-Producing Municipalities in Quezon Province last 13 May 2008 by Dr. Isabelita Pabuayon, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Economics and Management, UPLB
For further inquiries, you may e-mail Dr. Isabelita Pabuayon at isabelitampabuayon@yahoo.com.
