Philippine Export of Coconut Products Up in June

Official data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show export of coconut products by the Philippines in June leaped 33.5% to 239,101 MT in copra terms from 179,097 MT is a similar month a year ago. Gross export receipts, however, fell 12.0% to USD171.406 million from USD194.785 million mainly on low border prices.

Coconut oil and desiccated coconut were growth drivers posting double-digit increments.  Coconut oil export spiked 36.0% year-on-year to 135,308 MT from 98,481 MT while desiccated coconut jumped 28.5% to 14,235 MT from 11,077 MT.  Export of copra meal showed flat growth (+0.8%) at 32,241 MT from 31, 995 MT.  In contrast, shipment of oleochemicals plunged 43.0% to 2,318 MT as copra from 4,066 MT.

Other products performed as follows, in MT: coco shell charcoal 7,241 (+0.7% from 7,194 last year), activated carbon 6,298 (+3.1% from 6,108), virgin coconut oil 2,564 (-0.1% from 2,565), coco water 9.623 million liters (+23.6% from 7.784 million), fresh coconuts 138 (+43.7% from 96), Others 14,464 (+19.1% from 12,149).

Export for the first half of 2019 aggregated 1,084,966 MT in copra terms, surpassing by a whopping 37.0% a similar period year-ago total at 791,960 million MT. Breakdown is as follows, in MT: copra nil (69 last year), coconut oil 602,880 (437,274), copra meal 157,410 (208,653), desiccated coconut 68,366 (46,839), oleochemicals as copra 22,314 (25,389); coco shell charcoal 36,585 (40,573), activated carbon 41,088 (35,269), virgin coconut oil 11,222 (10,849), coco water 45.544 million liters (38.380 million), fresh coconuts 1,213 (723), Others 75,932 (53,047).