The government is bolstering its bid on improving nationwide production of coconut to ensure supply of this top dollar-earner despite last year's onslaught of super typhoon 'Yolanda' in Central Philippines, a coconut-producing area, a government press release said.

Aside from pursuing its regular planting, replanting and salt fertilization activities in coconut-producing areas nationwide, Philippine Coconut Authority  will  conduct  special fertilization intervention in three Central Philippine regions which it cited as having sustained the most coconut production damage from 'Yolanda.'

In its final damage report,  the PCA said the typhoon either slightly, moderately, severely or totally damaged some 44.12 million coconut trees in Central Philippines' Mimaropa region as well as regions IV-A, V, VI, VII, VIII and XIII.

Latest available preliminary PCA data also show nationwide volume of coconut production dipped to some 15.35 million MTs in 2013, the year 'Yolanda' struck, from 15.86 million MTs in 2012.

Pablo Romero, PCA Field Operations Division Officer-in-Charge, noted PCA continues spearheading planting and re-planting activities nationwide to increase the number of coconut trees in the country and to replace those which the agency already deemed senile or non-productive.

The PCA also leads nationwide efforts to fertilize coconut trees using salt to improve these plants' productivity, he continued.

Under its rehabilitation and recovery program, however, the PCA's thrust is to conduct in Central Philippines' regions VI, VII and VIII special fertilization using a combination of fertilizers.

Conduct of such special fertilization in the three regions aims to help fast-track recovery of almost 26 million coconut trees which 'Yolanda' either slightly, moderately or severely damaged.

The agency is aiming for faster recovery, noting 'Yolanda' totally damaged some 16.2 million other coconut trees in those regions alone.

Such count exceeds the number of coconut plants 'Yolanda' totally damaged in Mimaropa region (3,902 trees), Region IV-A (227 trees) and Region XIII (719 trees).

Government data show volumes of coconut-based products exported from the Philippines averaged 1.8 million MTs during the last 10 years from 2004 to 2013.

PCA noted coconut products are consistently among the country's top 10 merchandise exports.

PCA data indicate nearly 3.6 million has. or 27 percent of total agricultural land in 68 of 79 provinces nationwide were planted to coconut in 2013, marking an increase from the area covered in 2011.

The country had 338 million nut-bearing coconut trees last year when almost 15.5 billion nuts from the crop were produced nationwide, PCA also noted.

For 2014, PCA targets conducting coconut planting and replanting activities in 195,000 has. of land around the country.

The agency also targets planting and replanting 225,821 has. nationwide in each of 2015 and 2016.

PCA Deputy Administrator for Research and Development Ramon Rivera said the agency also came up with a triangle-shaped planting pattern for coconuts to help these plants better withstand inclement weather and other conditions.

For its regular fertilization program this year, the PCA set a total of 871,200 bags of salt for regions IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII and XIV.

The allocation is more than the 852,127 bags of salt PCA set for such regions last year.

Earlier this month, Malacañang released EO 169 which ordered PCA to lead nationwide efforts on managing and eventually eradicating scale insect infestation.

Romero said the government earlier decided to intensify its campaign against scale insect by implementing quarantine measures beginning June 20 this year to help prevent this pest's further spread to other areas.

He said the quarantine will involve inspecting, at various checkpoints, coconut-based products which are likely to be infested with scale insects, he noted.

The PCA, the Bureau of Plant Industry, the Philippine National Police and LGUs concerned will collaborate on the quarantine, he said.

Earlier, the PCA reported purchase of 940 chainsaws and five sawmills for areas reeling from 'Yolanda' to process there coco lumber out of coconut trees that didn't survive this typhoon's wrath.

A total of 2,432,224 coconut seedlings were already purchased for distribution in the areas, PCA also noted.

The agency also  reported purchase of some 182,000 bags of fertilizer for coconut trees that survived 'Yolanda.'

"Initially, Malacañang released PHP2.8 billion to PCA for rehabilitation of coconut farms which are among the typhoon's hardest-hit," the agency added.*PNA

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