Our planet is a constellation of countries, and this is the diversity between the peoples that makes this world a beautiful place to live. There are states that mesmerize their visitors with technologies, and there are states that make sure that those coming to visit them won’t forget the omnipresent natural beauty that the country is filled with. While the Philippines is a mix of both, it should be claimed that there is actually one thing that makes this country truly special. This is the worldwide coconut capital. Consisting of 7,641 islands, this state in the Southeast part of Asia can boast of a great number of special places to visit, with Davao Oriental surely being one of them.
This province is located in the easternmost part of the country, where Pusan Point – the state’s easternmost location in the municipality of Caraga – is situated. Facing the Philippine Sea to the east and the Davao Gulf to the west, the Davao Oriental province is the Philippines’ top coconut and copra producer. Thus, there is nothing to wonder about when somebody calls the Philippines the world’s coconut capital.
History of the Coconut Industry
The Philippines is a special place to visit, and there is nothing to be surprised with, as this country is a role model for many developing countries from all around the world. Over the course of the last 20 years, the Philippines has managed to raise its annual GDP to the point of more than $350 billion. The country’s industrial sector blossomed, as its manufacturers have started selling semiconductors, transport equipment, copper products, garments, petroleum products, and many other commodities to its partners worldwide. The emergence of the PHP Online Casino was a logical step, as the country’s wealth granted its citizens the opportunity to strike it rich within a matter of seconds. Yet, the industry remains the staple symbol of the state’s industrial complex.
According to the United Nations, coconut production in the Philippines has been growing at the rate of 5.3 per cent per year from 1911 to 1929, and increased by 5.2 % from 1952 to 1966. In 2012, the Philippines exported more than 1.5 million metric tons of coconut oil, copra, desiccated coconut, copra meal, activated carbon, coco shell charcoal, and coco chemicals, which is a 1.49 % increase compared to the volume exported back in 2011. In 1989, the country produced 11.8 million tons and at the time was the second largest producer worldwide but has since managed to surpass Indonesia. By the end of the 20th century, the industry accounted for approximately 6.7 percent of the Philippine exports.
Major Export Crop of Filipino Farmers
As it has already been mentioned, the Philippines takes great pride in its coconut industry, as it puts the country on the world’s economy map with a peculiar trademark. Thus, the Philippines is, probably, the only country in the world that has a regulative body devoted to the matters of coconut harvesting. The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is a governmental agency that is tasked with the mission of regulating the coconut industry. Even though the Philippines are deemed the global leader in the coconut production domain, the PCA’s website has recently featured a statement: “The fluctuation of domestic copra market is cyclical, and this is beyond the control of the PCA or any government agency. This is because the domestic copra price is dependent on the coconut oil price in the global market.” It means that the country is still dependent on the global economy, and there is nothing to do about it, as those are the rules of the game in the international economic arena. Trading with the likes of China, the United States, Germany, Thailand, Japan, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and others, the Philippines are forced to regulate their economy and the coconut production accordingly.
Coconut Industry Nowadays
It seems like there is no need to state once again how important the niche is for the Philippines. Therefore, the country’s government is doing everything they can to foster the sector and help those willing to partake in maximizing the coconut harvest in the country. This quarter, the Philippines’ top coconut producer was the Davao Region, as it has contributed 14% of the entire coconut production rates in the country. The runners-up were the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Northern Mindanao that came up with 12.7% and 12.9%, respectively. The industry is being fostered by all the means necessary, as there are more than 3.6 million square kilometers allocated by the government to the coconut production in the Philippines. As a matter of fact, this area accounts for 25% of all agricultural lands in the country. Also, the coconut industry is nowadays undergoing the so-called replanting program, as a lot of palm trees are already out of their capacity, as the majority of them are at least 60 years old.
Conclusion
It can be seen bright as daylight that the coconut industry has played a special role in the development of the Philippines and its economy. Hopefully, the replanting program is going to go to the plan, and the Davao Region will keep on providing coconut products for anyone willing to have a taste of the Philippines anywhere in the world.
