The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) on Wednesday launched its first-ever Coconut Farmers’ and Industry Roadmap (Coco-FIRM) during its 48th Anniversary Celebration, four months after the signing of Republic Act No. 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act (CFITFA).
Under RA 11524, PHP75 billion will be allocated to the CFITFA for the next five years while the Coco-FIRM will receive PHP5 million.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar urged coconut farmers to register under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System to partake in the industrialization and modernization efforts of the government.
“This Act will pave the way to modernize and industrialize the Philippine coconut sector. Further, it will transform the lives of coconut farmers in the country by turning low productivity into higher gains, bringing prosperity to farmers,” Dar said.
Dar said the new law also requires “one farmer representative from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Timelines are generally outlined so that before we move forward, we need to comply with these preliminaries.”
The agri chief said that with the positive performance of the PCA and the sector, it is apparent that the coconut industry is “climbing back up the ladder”.
“PCA is to be commended, under the leadership of Gen. Benjie Madrigal, Jr. for your dedicated efforts to develop our capabilities in production and processing to a position of world leadership – even in times of almost impossible difficulty,” he said. (PNA)
