Catalytic effect of a million coconut trees

There is a plan to plant a million coconut trees in Central Luzon. The catalytic effect of this plan, coupled with intercropping, may result in a sevenfold rise in farmers’ incomes. But for this to happen, the coconut trees must first be planted.

The plan to plant one million coconut trees is a supplement to the more difficult plan of planting one million certified fruit trees in Central Luzon, making it the fruit center of the entire island.

It started when the Kapampangan Development Foundation (KDF) added strategic agriculture and environment initiatives advocated by its chair Manuel Pangilinan and implemented by its president Benigno Ricafort.

KDF previously made its mark in health by putting up the only hospital in Asia that gives free help to poor physically handicapped patients.

Forum

On May 14, 2013, a forum attended by 500 participants was held at the Heroes Hall of San Fernando in Pampanga.

Various government agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as well as private sector groups, such as the Alyansa Agrikultura and the Rotary, participated in the forum spearheaded by KDF.

On the same day, the Alyansa initiated the KDF Nurseries Association.

It is headed by Honorio Bungay (0921-2053368). Though this group does varied activities such as vermicomposting and even joined the farmers’ rally against the release of smuggled rice at the Bureau of Customs (BOC), it is focused mainly on the production of certified fruit seedlings, with the goal of planting 1 million certified fruit trees.

This is not an empty boast.

One of KDF’s partners, the internationally awarded Kababaihang Barangay ng San Miguel, Bulacan, has already planted a million mango trees.

But since they did not come from certified seedlings, their fruits did not yield the optimal revenue.

The new program will require certified seedlings. It will be carried out using the successful Bulacan model of planting a million trees through a network of committed partners.

The goal of planting coconut trees is easier to attain than that of planting certified fruit trees. In addition, the catalytic effect is greater.

A million coconut trees can enhance value-added activities such as intercropping. This may yield an additional average income of P100,000 a hectare if one grows coffee or cacao, much of which we import today even though we can easily grow these for less the cost.

Then there’s beekeeping. It will not only add another P50,000 a hectare, but may also increase the yield of coconut trees, as well as that of other crops, by 30 percent.

More value-adding can be done with tissue culture for macapuno coconut trees, as well as the processing of coconut to higher value products.

There is no secret to this. The pitfall has been the lack of organization and action to achieve these higher incomes.

Model

There is a model today that addresses these obstacles. KDF Nurseries Association, which is also a member of Alyansa Agrikultura, has used the free help of four radio stations to expand its network to succeed.

These are dzRB with Francis Cansino, dzMM with Louie Tabing, dzAS with John Enriquez, and AANI with Zac Sarian.

With help from these stations, last year’s forum was followed by free training sessions on fruit nurseries. This resulted in an organization of 48 new nursery operators who consistently meet once a month.

They have since produced more than 100,000 certified fruit seedlings.

Last April 12, these operators went to the monthly Techno-Demo Forum organized by Francis Cansino. Right then and there, the association forged an agreement to get from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) an initial 1,000 coconut seedlings. Subsequently, they gave 500 of these seedlings to the Pampanga Agricultural State University (Pasu).

They then forged an agreement for Pasu to establish the Coconut Seed Center to multiply certified coconut seedlings for the community.

With this tie-up and broadcast support, there now emerges a movement for a million coconut trees in Central Luzon.

This movement is unique in that it includes intercropping, value-adding, and other appropriate enterprises that will increase the farmer’s income through proper technology transfer and training.

Effect

The planting of 1 million coconut trees opens to the coconut farmers opportunities for much greater income. This should be the new paradigm Philippine agriculture must adopt.

We must not only look at the agricultural commodities through road maps. We must instead look at the farmer planting that commodity, and look for ways to increase his income through additional products and value-added processing.

This more productive paradigm is demonstrated through a systems approach applied by the 1 million coconut tree planting program, which catalyzes even higher income-producing activities.

Innovative approaches like this can help us attain inclusive growth.

(The author is chair of Agriwatch, former Secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, and former Undersecretary for Agriculture, Trade and Industry. For inquiries and suggestions, e-mail [email protected] or telefax (02) 8522112.)