Virtual participants from all-over the country during the Consultation Meeting with the Coconut Sugar Stakeholders

The Philippine Coconut Authority’s Trade and Market Development Department (TMDD), through the Trade Information and Relations Division (TIRD), organized the virtual consultation meeting with the coconut sugar stakeholders last 24 February 2023. The meeting was called to update the PCA Management, as well as the coconut sugar industry stakeholders on the overall industry status, market opportunities, and issues bogging the development of the industry. It was attended by 82 participants composed of representatives from the PCA Regional Offices, and stakeholders of the coconut sugar industry.

PCA Administrator Bernie F. Cruz addressed the attendees in his opening remarks, “Thank you for all the support that you have been giving to the new leadership, and I wish that I can give all my best to support you, too, for the success and [to be] number one again in the coconut industry, in the whole world.”

Ms. Rosella B. Villaruel, Department Manager of TMDD, discussed the rationale of the meeting, while Ms. Luz Brenda P. Balibrea, Division Chief of TIRD, presented the trade performance of the coconut sugar industry.

During the meeting, the participants discussed possible actions to address the challenges and issues the stakeholders raised, such as low production volume, low production efficiency, absence of standardized pricing, and lack of government subsidies for the cost of market-required certifications.

Suggestions to address these bottlenecks include (1) the reactivation of the coconut sap sugar industry cluster; (2) improving the packaging technology on coconut sugar; (3) the consolidation of packaging requirements of processors; (4) capability-building on coconut sap sugar processing; (5) the diversification of coconut sap-based products; (6) revisiting of the Philippine National Standards on coconut sap sugar (based on DTI-BPS’s directives); and (7) the establishment of food safety standards and other market-required certifications for the micro and small processors.