The Philippines has sought the cooperation and support of the world's
top coconut producers in its war against an invasive plant pest that has
threatened the future of coconut trade and production not only in the
country but in the rest of the Asia-Pacific Region.
Agriculture Undersecretary Emmanuel Paras, who represented the
Philippines at the recently held 44th session and ministerial meeting of the
Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) in San Juan City, noted that the
world's top coconut producers should pursue collaborative efforts to
eradicate the dreaded coconut leaf beetle Brontispa Longissima Gestro and
other pests.

"We are here for the benefit of our stakeholders, most especially the
millions of small farmers and their families who directly depend on coconut
farming and related enterprises as their main source of food, livelihood and
employment," Paras told the global forum.

"We will value your assistance, so we could effectively control and
wipe out brontispa from inflicting further damage, not only here but also
elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region," he added.

The Philippines is the world's second largest producer of coconut
products, next only to Indonesia. Annual domestic coconut trade and
production is valued at US$ 800 million or P40 billion.

Paras assured the APCC of the Philippines' continued support for its
various projects to protect the global coconut trade.

These include a scientist exchange program, establishment of farmers'
field schools and the field testing, and evaluation of an Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) program to control eriophid mites and the rhinoceros
beetle, and the implementation of a similar initiative versus the brontispa
pest in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and China.

The DA, through the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), has also given
its full backing to an APCC program on the pilot production and
demonstration of filtered crude coconut oil as biofuel for stationary and
mobile diesel engines.

At present, an APCC project on technology transfer and training on the
production of virgin coconut oil and its by-products is being implemented
with Filipino and Indonesian trainors.

Paras said that the "vigorous cooperation and assistance of fellow
APCC member-countries to effectively contain brontispa and other major pests
and diseases is necessary to protect our respective coconut industries."

In the Philippines, the DA has so far been surmounting the challenges
to the coconut industry brought about not only by the brontispa invasion,
but also by the strong typhoons that struck the country last year.

"We are vigorously implementing a national coconut industry
rehabilitation and expansion program, which, to date, has covered about
280,000 hectares, and where we undertake various initiatives that include
planting, replanting, fertilization and intercropping of high-value crops,
as well as raising livestock," Paras said.

The program also involves the establishment of coconut seed gardens to
propagate high-yielding and sturdy varieties for distribution to coconut
farmers.

To further protect the coconut industry, the PCA has been working
closely with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), local government units and
the Philippine National Police (PNP) in strictly implementing a quarantine
order covering Metro Manila and 26 coconut-producing provinces infested with
the Brontispa leaf beetle.

The DA has also banned imports of palm seed nuts and seedlings from
over two dozen countries with known Brontispa infestations.


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