Image via WikipediaFor us Filipinos, the coconut is regarded as the tree of life simply because nothing is wasted even up to end of its fruit-bearing years. The coconut is a fruit and it belongs to the Arecaceae palm family and can grow up to six meters tall. The husk or coir can be made into rope, doormats, twines and padding materials for furniture and orchids. The shell, on the other hand, could be used for handicraft items like piggy banks, cups and other decors.
Who has not tasted the juice and meat of a young coconut or buko juice? We Filipinos are very lucky that we can have our fill of this heavenly drink anytime of the year. Every summer time while spending the Holy Week in Sorsogon, my family and I do not fail to eat/drink this to quench our thirst. My aunt's ever reliable godson, Modesto, gets the young coconut early afternoon just in time for merienda. Aside from the buko juice, the meat of the coconut can be manufactured into coconut oil, VCO or virgin coconut oil, and used in the manufacture of soaps and cosmetics. Vinegar, biodiesel, the lowly walis-tingting, coconut lumber and lately the coco sugar are other by products of coconut. Maybe in the future more products will be produced out of this wonderful fruit.
That is the good news. Now for the bad news. The bad news is the low coconut output. Despite the many uses of coconut notably biodiesel and coco sugar, our farmers are not replacing old coconut trees. Old coconut trees become coco lumber and if not replaced, there will not be enough supply to cater to the big demand. Take for example the Renewable Energy Act which mandates the blending of a certain percentage of alternative fuel from coconut, corn et al to diesel and gasoline. It has not fully implemented first and foremost because of lack of supply. Supply problem just negates the advantages of using alternative renewable fuel. With full implementation, the Philippines could slowly wean from its dependence on imported fuel thus saving the government a lot of dollars. Coco sugar, on the other hand, is touted to be good for diabetics because of its low level of glycemic index.
To answer the declining coconut output and be at the forefront as a major coconut producer, the Philippine Coconut Authority, the government agency mandated to develop the coconut and palm oil industry, has launched the National Coconut Productivity Program in 2008. It has three major projects of which replanting is one. It will take at least five years before a new tree starts being productive so it is imperative that replanting be done the soonest possible time. It helps that new varieties are available that yield more fruits than the coconut of old. The Tacunan variety is a dwarf coconut that is ideal for coconut sugar production.
The future of growing coconuts looks bright. People in developed countries are in perpetual search for sources of alternative energy and healthy food. We cannot go wrong if we take a serious look at the tree of life.
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