The coconut industry is a dominant sector of Philippine agriculture:

• Of the 12 million hectare of farmlands, 3.1M hectare is devoted to coconut
• 68 out of 79 provinces are coconut areas
• Over 324M bearing and non-bearing trees
• 3.5M coconut farmers
• 25M Filipinos are directly or indirectly dependent on the industry
• Annual average of 5.97% contribution to GVA and 1.14% to GNP
• 59% share in world coconut exports
• Among the top 5 net foreign exchange earners, average of US $760M per year

Coconut farms are widely distributed nationwide, largely in regions of Southern Luzon in the North and Mindanao in the South. There are around 324 M coconut trees in the country, about 85% of which are considered productive. The coconut industry provides an annual average of 5.97% contribution to the GVA and 1.14% to the GNP.

A number of laws have been enacted since 1971 to institute various levies on the coconut industry. Notable among the various funds that have been imposed on the industry are the coconut investment fund, the coconut consumer stabilization fund, the coconut industry development fund, the coconut industry stabilization fund and the coconut reserve fund.

The proceeds of these funds are now the subject of a controversy on the unconstitutionality on the private nature of the funds. Our courts have not resolved the issue and the funds are still sequestered and frozen.

© 2005. All Right Reserved Philippine Coconut Authority Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines (0632) 928-8741 to 45 Email: pca_cpo@yahoo.com.ph