LIPA CITY, Batangas — Batangas Province will soon become a major player in the country’s coconut industry through a P108.32-million coconut oil processing enterprise funded by the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).
The project is the first enterprise subproject in CALABARZON to be funded under the DA-PRDP Scale-Up project, which provides targeted infrastructure, facilities, technology, and information to raise income, productivity, and competitiveness.
The DA-PRDP tapped the Agricare Multipurpose Cooperative and the Palacpac Malinao San Nicolas Calantas Multipurpose Cooperative for the plant construction, as well as the installation of a coconut oil mill system that will produce high-value crude coconut oil (CNO) and copra cake for animal feed.
In a press release, the DA-PRDP noted that the project includes a processing facility in Rosario, Batangas, that will help bridge the supply gap for crude coconut oil and copra cake.
“Instead of selling raw coconuts, the project processes copra into high-value CNO and copra cake. This will empower the community to shift from primary production to value-added agro-industry,” the DA-PRDP said.
The facility was designed as a local processing hub that will consolidate copra from at least 1,207 coconut farmers, increasing the overall copra production in Batangas.
According to the Agricare Multipurpose Cooperative, copra is one of the most in-demand agricultural products in the province, with nine feed mills already committed for product intake.
Furthermore, the DA and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) have committed to providing continuous technical support to the project proponents and the partner copra suppliers. (PIA)
