DBM releases P1.38-B for coco industry expansion

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P1.38 billion to the Philippine Coconut Agency (PCA) to support their operations and various programs that can help strengthen the country’s coconut industry.

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said, “Coconut production is an important agri-business industry in our country. Not only does it contribute to the growth of our economy, it also generates a large number of jobs and income for our farmers. Through their efforts and their programs, the PCA is helping create a resilient and sustainable future for both the farmers and the industry.”

Charged against the 2014 national budget, the P1.38-billion release will pay for the agency’s operating requirements and locally-funded projects for the second semester of the year. The funds will also jumpstart the agency’s procurement activities, which in turn would fast-track their programs.

Of this amount, the PCA will first get P466 million to partially cover their operations and select programs that are ready for implementation, like the payment of farmers’ incentives under the Participatory Coconut Planting Program, as well as the organic fertilizers for the Coconut Fertilization Program. It will also help coconut farmers in capacity-building under the Intercropping Program.

The release will likewise support other projects, including the Accelerated Coconut Planting/Replanting and the KAANIB Enterprise Development. It will also be used to address the coconut scale insect (CSI) infestation that has plagued coconut trees across the country.

Abad said, “With the right measures and funding, the PCA has been able to address an agricultural crisis like the coconut insect infestation. This is a good example of how our agencies’ capacity to deal with major issues has been ably supported by the National Government.”

The PCA had earlier received P400 million to combat the CSI infestation last June under the Scale Insect Emergency Action Program. An estimated 1.2 million trees had been seriously affected by an infestation of the pest Aspidiotus rigidus in the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Cavite, and Basilan, leading the government to put parts of CALABARZON and the island of Basilan under a state of emergency. (DBM)