By Michelle Ducut
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) plans to fertilize 55,000 coconut palms in 2025 under its Coconut Fertilization Project, allocating PHP1.5 billion to enhance yields and improve the livelihoods of coconut farmers.
PCA Administrator Dr. Dexter Buted announced the initiative during the second Salt Congress held at Pangasinan State University on Thursday. The project involves rehabilitating mature but low-yielding coconut palms using agricultural-grade salt fertilizer (AGSF) and organic compost. A total of 2.12 million 50-kilo bags of AGSF and 375,000 bags of organic fertilizer are set to be distributed.
The province of Pangasinan will contribute 4,180 bags of AGSF produced at the Pangasinan Salt Center, while Dasol town and the Dasol Salt Makers Association will provide an additional 5,000 bags.
Dr. Buted highlighted the expected outcomes, including a 25% increase in coconut yields within five years and a 10% rise in farmers’ income. These gains aim to mitigate the effects of recent challenges, such as the El Niño phenomenon, which contributed to a slight decrease in coconut production in 2023, dropping to 14.89 million metric tons from 14.93 million metric tons in 2022.
The project aligns with the PCA’s goal of raising coconut production to 2.9 billion nuts, generating PHP20.8 billion in income by 2026, and reaching 3.98 billion nuts, or PHP24.9 billion, by 2027.
Currently, the country has 3.6 million hectares of coconut plantations, with 340 million trees supporting the livelihoods of approximately 2.5 million coconut farmers.
Beyond boosting coconut production, the fertilization program is also expected to benefit the local salt industry by increasing demand for agricultural-grade salt, further supporting economic growth in coconut-producing regions.