5K Dinagat coconut farmers get PCA assistance

SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands – Some 5,000 coconut growers whose farms were destroyed by Typhoon Odette in December 2021 will benefit from several assistance packages from the Philippine Coconut Authority in the Caraga Region (PCA-13).

In partnership with the provincial government of Dinagat Islands, PCA-13 said the assistance includes the establishment of nurseries for the propagation of hybrid planting materials to replace the damaged coconut trees.

More than 8,000 hectares of coconut plantations were destroyed by Odette affecting around 5,000 coconut farmers in the island province.

“In January this year, Governor Nilo Demerey Jr. was able to access 160,000 pieces of dwarf hybrid varieties of coconut nuts from Zamboanga City. Around 40,000 were already shipped here in February,” said PCA-13 Manager Joel Oclarit in an interview Friday.

Part of the 40,000 nuts are being grown in designated nurseries in the province for propagation, he said, adding that more are coming before the end of the year.

Oclarit said the mass production of seedlings will replace the damaged coconut trees and the expansion of coconut areas in the province.

In addition, Oclarit said the PCA and the provincial government are set to establish coconut processing plants in Dinagat for the production of coconut oil and encourage farmers to venture into value-adding out of their coconut products.

“The processing of coconut products and value-adding are the keys to improve the lives of our farmers here in Dinagat. To attain this, we need to increase the production of coconuts by replacing those that were damaged and increase the number of hectares planted,” Oclarit said.

For now, he said a technical staff from PCA-13 and the agriculture office in Dinagat continue to conduct debris cleanup and pest management in the province.

Jose Billones, 56, a coconut farmer from Barangay Bayanihan in Libjo town welcomed the massive replanting of coconut trees on the island.

“Almost 60 percent of my coconut trees in a two-hectare farmland were ruined by Odette. The massive propagation of planting materials is a big help to us,” Billones said in the dialect.

Another coconut farmer, Josephine Bantilao, 48, from San Jose, said the establishment of a processing plant and value-adding initiatives will make a big difference for the coconut farmers.

Medical mission

On Thursday, PCA-13 and the provincial government of Dinagat conducted a Medical and Dental Health Mission in the town of San Jose in time with the weeklong celebration of “Bugkosan sa Isla 2023 Festival,” commemorating the 17th Charter Day of the province.

Some 500 coconut farmers, including their children, availed of checkups, issuance of medical prescriptions, and tooth extraction. They were also provided with free medicines and hygiene kits. (PNA)