The Philippines is expanding its coconut replanting efforts in an attempt to regain its former status as the world’s leading coconut producer—a position it lost to Indonesia nearly three decades ago. Although still the top global exporter of coconuts, the Philippines is currently the second-largest producer after Indonesia.

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), overseen by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. is now aiming to plant 50 million coconut trees in 2026, doubling its original target. This accelerated plan is part of a five-year initiative that began in 2023 to plant 100 million coconut trees by 2028. In 2024, more than 8.5 million trees have already been planted, with another 15 million expected by year-end.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has allocated additional funding for the program, and the PCA plans to involve local coconut farming communities to help scale up the production of planting materials. The revised strategy also includes a fertilization program targeting the country’s 340 million existing coconut trees, many of which are old and underproductive, yielding only around 40 nuts per year.

Global demand for coconut oil is rising, partially in response to the European Union’s decision to classify palm oil as environmentally unsustainable, with plans to phase out palm oil imports by 2030. This shift may benefit coconut-producing countries, including the Philippines. Meanwhile, coconut oil prices are increasing due to lower copra output and higher demand for fresh coconuts.

In 2024, Indonesia produced 17.13 million metric tons of coconuts, while the Philippines produced 14.77 million. Much of the Philippines’ decline has been attributed to Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, which destroyed an estimated 10 million coconut trees.

To support yield improvement, President Marcos has approved a PHP 1.8 billion budget for the fertilization program in 2026. The PCA plans to use agricultural-grade salt (AGSF) to raise yields to at least 60 coconuts per tree annually. Part of the funding will be used to source AGSF from local suppliers, in line with recent efforts to strengthen the domestic salt industry.

The PCA also plans to distribute corn and coffee seedlings to coconut growers for intercropping, aiming to diversify income sources while newly planted coconut trees mature.

For more information:
Philippine Department of Agriculture
Tel: +63 2 8928 8741
Email: [email protected]
www.da.gov.ph