PCA to update registry of coconut farmers

THE Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said it would update and validate the number of officially registered coconut farmers to ensure that they would “truly” benefit from Republic Act 11524, or the “Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act.”

In a briefing on Tuesday, PCA Administrator Benjamin Madrigal Jr. said there were about 2.5 million coconut farmers officially listed in the PCA’s registry system, “but we’re updating this, because others may have passed away or have not been farming anymore.”

According to him, updating and validating this list would be one of his agency’s main initiatives, along with crafting the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan.

Signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, RA 11524 aims to increase the income of coconut farmers, alleviate poverty and promote social equity, and rehabilitate and modernize the industry to make it more productive.

Under the law, the Bureau of Treasury will transfer P10 billion to the trust fund in the first year; P10 billion in the second; P15 billion in the third; P15 billion in the fourth; and P25 billion in the fifth.

The law mandates the PCA to submit its plan to Malacañang within 120 days of the law’s passage.

Madrigal said the plan would focus on implementing development programs on hybridization; training farmers; research, crop insurance, intercropping and animal integration; shared facilities; empowering cooperatives; credit programs; infrastructure development; and scholarships.