Coco water and coffee - 2 sunshine industries

As I write this, I’m enjoying an early rest to prepare for the Bangkok Motor Show tomorrow, thanks to my host Motor Image Pilipinas, Inc. distributors of Subaru vehicles in the country through the courtesy of Mr. Nicky Mariano, top honcho. More updates on my other column when I get back.

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Don’t blink now, but our entrepreneurial kababayans have gotten busy ever since President P-Noy exulted the merits of the Philippine coco water. From the Philippine Coconut Authority, we gathered that coconut water exports increased by a whopping 315 percent, and that is only for the first semester of this year. That translates to 7,500,742 liters of coconut water which were mostly exported to the United States, Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Latin and Central America and even the Middle East. Last year, our coco water export stood at 1,807,087 liters for the same period.

It seems the Americans are particularly smitten by this product. Here alone, export stood at 9,916,211 liters compared to last year’s 1,273,324. That’s a 387 percent increase. Europe came in a close second with 213,220 liters as against 1,273,324 last year. Of the countries we export to, the Middle East came in last with 166,561 liters as against 37,450 liters from the same period last year. That’s still a very healthy increase.

Doubtless, P-Noy’s proud endorsement of Philippine coco water has stirred many of our businessmen into action. Most of the exporters come from Batangas where coconut plantations are aplenty and I can understand why P-Noy’s pronouncements about the bright prospect of coco water have galvanized our entrepreneurs here. Two big beverage firms have reportedly expressed interest in investing in the country’s coconut industry.

Being a natural beverage, coco water is rich in potassium and magnesium, packing a considerable amount of Vitamin B (Thiamin). All these make the coco water the sports drink or energy drink of choice by sportsmen. It is also reportedly rich in electrolytes and glucose such that it is even suitable for intravenous rehydration. I remember being fascinated by stories of coconut water being used for dextrose during the war, but it certainly took a long time for us to appreciate the unlimited benefits of the ordinary coconut. And, oh yes, many tout it as an effective treatment for urinary stones. My urologist has pronounced me as a certified stone former, so I have been a convert to the many blessings of the coco water.

Actually, as early as the 1980’s, we have been exporting buco juice to Taiwan. This is of course the water from young coconut which is six to eight months old, while coco water is from the more mature coconuts. Exporting coco water is more viable, according to the PCA as the mature coconut meat can be made intro copra, the husk and shell are likewise used for coir and other applications like bowls and fashion jewelry. So, if you have a mind to go into this as export, as PCA Administrator Euclides Forbes says, “mag-coco water ka na kesa mag-buko juice.”

The PCA Administrator admits that he has been kept busy for months now, hopping from coconut-rich areas like Camarines Sur and talking with businessmen about the viability of coco water export. I just hope that this export sector is regulated well. As more and more exporters go into coco water, we have to ensure the top quality of this highly perishable product that goes into the global market. By all means, let’s be known for a good, steady and dependable supply of high-quality coco water. And while we’re at it, it won’t hurt to study our packaging as well if we are to be competitive.

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We’re happy to note that the Department of Agriculture has allocated significant funds for the coffee industry next year. The P160 million from the DA will certainly go a long way for the Coffee Board’s projects of new seedlings and the rehabilitation of old coffee farms. Ms. Chit Juan, President of the Coffee Board, is a frequent resource person in Business & Leisure (thank you for always acceding to our requests for valuable inputs) and she shared that the Philippines, a certified coffee-drinking nation, imports about half of its coffee requirements every year. The Coffee Board’s advocacy is for the Philippines to be ultimately completely self-sufficient in coffee.

Most of our coffee imports go to soluble coffee. The lady president says that a lot of our local production goes to specialty coffee like Arabica, Barako and special blends. She hopes to educate our coffee farmers to ensure the top quality of our coffee beans by harvesting only the red berries and preserving the coffee beans post harvest.

Chit herself is spearheading the formation of the Philippine chapter of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance where she is inviting women coffee planters and processors to come together and share information, best business practices and gain access to new global markets. This organization belongs to a coalition called We Connect, a project of the International Coalition Center where women planters and processors from as far as Africa and South America share knowledge and information about coffee. This organization gives them access to new global markets of companies that have diversity programs who are members of We Connect, and we’re talking here of IBM, Accenture, Walmart.com, etc. These companies devote part of their spending budget to women-owned companies, women farmers, etc. Chit and her team hope to gather the Filipino women in coffee growing and processing that they too may share in the benefits of these international coalitions and sell their products to the biggest companies in the world. Kudos to these untiring coffee warriors who will not rest until they put the Philippines in the global coffee map.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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