Five coconut farm areas in Negros Oriental have been identified for strategic road links and infrastructure under the Coordinating Roads and Infrastructure Investments for Development (CR+ID) project of the Asia Foundation and Australian Embassy.
In a value chain analysis coco stakeholder’s gathering, the Philippine Coconut Authority presented that the municipalities of Pamplona, Valencia, Dauin, Ayungon, and Guihulngan City top as the major coconut farms areas in the province.
PCA provincial development manager Brendan Trasmonte said more than 92,000 hectares have been planted with coconut with an estimated nut production of 246 million in 2010.
With this, CR+ID coordinator Conrado Pono of the Asian Foundation cited the importance to plan and coordinate with local government units, national agencies as well as the private sector the road constructions that lead to coconut plantations or farm areas.
This is to improve entire stretches of SRLs which leads to decrease in transportation cost and travel time, cost of farm inputs and products.
The CR+ID assist to harmonize provincial plans at the regional level with regional development investment plan in prioritizing roads and infrastructure investments to be endorsed to the Regional Development Council for funding, said Pono.
TAF and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines in cooperation with Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry has also identified five priority sectors which include tourism, coconut, swine and poultry, banana, and fishery that bring economic development in Negros Oriental.
The project coordinates and rationalizes road investments through the use of value chain analysis in identifying SRLs, which are interconnected roads most often used in transporting gods, services and people, said CR+ID coordinator.
PCA noted coconut products and by-products are consistently among the country’s leading merchandise exports.
Other coconut export products are virgin coconut oil, coco water, chips, jam, vinegar, frozen coco meat, liquid coco milk, coconut milk powder, makapuno, coco liquor, coco coir and coconut handicraft, among other by-products. (PIA)
