In its aim to produce 16 million coconut trees for 2008, the Philippine Coconut Authority grants incentives to farmers planting coconut at their own backyard.
In Cebu, Sibonga town receives the bulk of the first phase of incentives when the PCA gave to almost 50 farmers in barangay Bato and its neighboring barangays.
Delber Barraquias, Cebu coconut development officer of PCA, recently handed over checks worth P55,790 to 33 farmers in sitio Cansantic in barangay Bato.
The farmers were all members of Small Coconut Farmers Organization (SCFO) who were able to make a nursery with almost 8,000 quality seednuts.
In the first phase, PCA pays the farmer P7 each quality seednut that the farmer nurtures.
In the second phase, Barraquias said, PCA again pays the farmer another P7 when the leaves of the seednut reach two feet. Finally, when the seednuts are planted, PCA will pay P20 each.
“This is another income generation for farmers, they are supported even before they could harvest the actuall nuts,” Barraquias said.
In the end, PCA will even buy the nuts produced.
A coconut tree is expected to produce 35 seednuts yearly, which is equivalent to half-ton copra.
Barraquias said each CDO was given a task to replant 100 hectares this year or 1,200 hectares for Central Visayas.
The Philippines remains the top producer and exporter of copra, which is used as cosmetics base, food ingredient and animal feeds abroad. — Ferliza C. Contratista/LPM