Provincial Coconut Officer Brendan Trasmonte said the price of copra has risen at the start of 2011 because of the very low supply.

The price of raw or fresh copra is now at P20 to P25 per kilo, and P40 to P47 for dried and clean copra.

Trasmonte said the high price is a welcome development for coconut farmers. He said the low supply was the effect of the long dry season that was experienced in Negros Oriental last year.  He added that coconut trees usually manifest these effects five to six months after the drought.

At least a 10 to 20 percent decrease was recorded in copra supply during the last harvest season of coconuts. Harvest is done every three months when the coconut tree is still in good fruit-bearing condition.

Trasmonte said he is optimistic that coconut production will increase next harvest season because of the rainy season.  The rains are expected to last until February, reports of PAG-ASA said.

A coconut farmer, Bienvenida Vensuelo from Balugo, Valencia said, she is taking advantage of the high price of copra. She said at the last harvest season, fresh copra only sold at P10 to P12 per kilo.

She said she is hopes that they can avail of the salt fertilization program of the Philippine Coconut Authority, because she believes it can help improve coconut production.*MA

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