To further boost local productivity and regain the global top spot, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) will plant 50 million coconut trees next year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday.

This is part of the administration’s five-year aggressive planting targets of 100 million coconut trees until 2028 in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“The initial target for next year was 25 million trees, but on the orders of President Marcos, we are doubling our efforts. Our new goal for 2026 is to plant 50 million new coconut trees,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

At least 15 million coconut trees are targeted to be planted within the year, on top of the 8.5 million trees planted in 2024.

He, meanwhile, assured adequate funding to ensure that the coconut replanting efforts will be scaled up to help the Philippines regain its position as the world’s number one coconut producer.

“The President has allocated additional funds for this, and we will involve coconut farming communities to fast-track the production of planting materials,” Tiu Laurel said.

The country lost to Indonesia and remains the world’s second coconut producer in 30 years.

In 2024, the Philippines’ coconut output stood at 14.77 million metric tons (MT), lower than Indonesia’s 17.13 million MT.

Besides replanting efforts, the DA is also focusing on the fertilization program to increase the yield of coconut trees.

“The goal is to raise yields to at least 60 coconuts per tree annually through fertilization with agricultural grade salt while we wait for the new coconut trees to mature,” Tiu Laurel said.

To date, the majority of the country’s 340 million existing coconut trees are considered “senile” or aging, which reduces production to only a third of its actual optimal output, which is equivalent to 40 nuts per year.

President Marcos approved about PHP1.8 billion for the fertilization program. (PNA)