THE PHILIPPINE government is eyeing to expand its market for local coconuts to the Middle East, particularly in the United Arab Emirates.
“Its goal is to move Philippine coconut products from export potential to actual commercial and retail presence in the UAE,” said Michael Sollera, Philippine agriculture attaché for the Middle East, Africa, and India, referring to the “Project Coco Bridge” program.
The “Project Coco Bridge” program is led by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Dubai, alongside The Hub Trading and Logistics Services and the Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Agricultural Attaché.
According to the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), 37 Philippine coconut manufacturers were already contacted, nine of which were identified as export-ready.
“The initiative evaluates products for export readiness while addressing key market barriers, including buyer access, production capacity, packaging, labeling, and regulatory compliance, to assess demand for coconut food, beverages, health, wellness, and personal care items across the Gulf Cooperation Council region,” said PCAF.
Meanwhile, The Hub managing director Lito German said the program is considering various products that can be developed from coconut. These include coconut sugar, jam, oil, milk, cream, juices, snacks, nata de coco, desiccated coconut, vinegar, and protein bars.
“The project’s succeeding phase will explore additional products based on UAE market demand and assess whether our Filipino producers can supply them,” German said.
There was a proposal to utilize the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) under the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to fund the project.
However, the PCA said government accounting regulations and CFIDP fund limitations must be reviewed before allocating funds for the Project Coco Bridge.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the government is targeting to plant 100 million coconut trees by 2028 to boost the country’s coconut industry.
Marcos reported at the time that 18 million coconut trees have been planted so far under his administration. (GMA News)
