SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA: The coconut-based products crafted by farmers and processors in the province of Antique are showing promising market potential, according to officials. This burgeoning interest is prompting encouragement for more local processors to engage in the industry.
According to Philippines News Agency, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial director Mutya Eusores remarked during a media conference called Hinun-anon that products like coco cookies, virgin coconut oil (VCO), coco peat, and coco lampshades are gaining favorable market acceptance. To bolster this growth, the DTI is conducting training sessions for coconut farmer associations to enhance their production capabilities.
Gevi Kristina Villafuerte, head of DTI Antique Industry Development Unit, reported that 30 individuals participated in a training program on coconut-based food processing held on August 14-15 in the island municipality of Caluya. The participants learned to produce coco jam and VCO.
In addition to training
, the DTI has provided a shared service facility for coco food production to the Anini-y Coco Food Producers Association in Barangay Nato, located in the municipality of Anini-y. The association, led by president Leo Laurio Lupango, produces various coconut-based food products such as cookies, buko pie, and macaroons, generating a monthly average income of PHP16,000 from consignments at local trade centers.
Lupango explained that the association receives orders from retailers in Iloilo City and other parts of Western Visayas, and they participate in trade fairs to boost sales. Four association members are employed to produce these coco-based food items, with members receiving a share of the sales at year-end.
In a separate conversation, Dr. Clarissa Esmenos, owner of Arianna Coco Products, noted that her company not only produces VCO as a soothing rub but also processes coconut husk into coco peat and coco shell into charcoal. She mentioned that agricultural supply stores in Iloilo City frequently order coc
o peat for use as an organic fertilizer.
Villafuerte highlighted that in collaboration with the Philippine Coconut Authority, they have profiled 48,645 coconut farmers registered with the National Coconut Farmers Registry System in Antique, underscoring the scale and potential of the coconut industry in the region.