Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Administrator Euclides G. Forbes has announced that tapping local salt producers of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro to supply the salt requirement for PCA's Fertilization Project has realized savings for the agency in the amount of twenty million pesos.

The Administrator added that regional biddings were conducted for the supply of some 316,000 bags of salt which will be purchased for this years salt fertilization project. The amount can fertilize some 79,000 hectares of coconut plantation with more than 7 M coconut trees. The project is being implemented to address the slump in coconut production.

According to Administrator Forbes, tapping local salt producers will invigorate the salt industry of the Province of Occidental Mindoro which is a major salt producer. He added that the savings will be used to purchase peat as additional fertilizer for coconut.

The administrator revealed that aside from the purchase of salt, backyard production of salt in selected regions as a result of training in salt production conducted by PCA, will be used for the project.