DTI-7 pushes coco biz in Cebu for value-adding products as PH targets top coco exporter spot

CEBU CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Region VII urged coconut farmers to shift from selling raw nuts to building brands and higher-value products as it opened the 2026 Coco Negosyo – Cebu Coconut Market Expo on August 20 at Ayala Center Cebu, gathering 25 CFIDP-vetted MSMEs and farmers registered under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System to showcase coconut oil, beverages, soaps, snacks, and handicrafts.

Held in celebration of the 40th National Coconut Week with the theme “Lubi, Bahandi sa Kinaiyahan, Kusog sa Panginabuhian.”  The expo runs from August 20-23 and beyond the 25-booth Coco Bazaar, the expo includes a Techno Forum, training on costing and online marketing, cooperative development, a Women Farmers Forum, and coconut painting activities.

DTI-7 Acting-Assistant Regional Director Epifania Suralta said that the expo is part of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan that aims to move farmers beyond production.

“The growth of the coconut industry cannot rest on one agency or one sector alone,” Suralta said. “It requires the collective efforts of our farmers, cooperatives, entrepreneurs, government agencies, business organizations, development partners, and consumers.”

Suralta added that there is a need to help the coconut farmers and entrepreneurs move from being producers of raw materials to becoming coco entrepreneurs, creating higher-value products, building brands, developing innovative products, and accessing markets where they can earn more from their hard work.

She noted the future depends “not only on how much coconut is produced, but also on how much value can be created from it.”  

To support that, DTI-7 links exhibitors to Negosyo Centers for advisory, OTOP Philippines for product development on packaging and standards, and Shared Service Facilities (SSF) for equipment to improve quality and productivity.

“Market access must be accompanied by capability,” Suralta emphasized, urging enterprises to improve pricing, branding, and digital marketing to compete.  The push comes as the Philippines works to reclaim its spot as the world’s top coconut exporter.

Finance Secretary Frederick Go said in February the government is using the Coconut Levy Fund to revive the industry, noting the PH is currently the 2nd largest exporter of coconuts globally and sees “a lot of opportunity” to take the lead.

Data shows the sector remains a major economic driver. The Philippines produced 14.506 million metric tons of coconut in 2025, slightly higher than in 2024, and coconut contributes at least 35 percent of total agricultural export earnings from 2013 to 2022.

The industry provides livelihood to over 2.74 million coconut farmers nationwide.  Exports hit a record $3.57 billion in 2025, up 34 percent from $2.66 billion in 2024, driven by coconut oil which alone accounted for $2.87 billion. In H1 2026, coconut-based export revenues rose 12.3 percent to $1.9 billion.

But production remains vulnerable. PSA reported Q4 2025 output fell 3.5 percent year-on-year to 4.022 million MT, and PCA officials warn El Niño could cut productivity by 20 percent as it did in 2024.

While national data leads, Central Visayas is using events like Coco Negosyo to address local gaps. The region is not among the top 3 producing regions — Davao, Northern Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula led 2025 with 1.9M, 1.8M, and 1.7M MT respectively, but it is a key consumption and processing hub.

Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA-7) officials said that the government is banking on interventions like fertilization and drip irrigation to offset El Niño impacts, and on shifting exports from 70 percent crude coconut oil to refined and value-added products like VCO, coco water, and coco coir to push revenues toward $4 billion. (Photos courtesy of DTI-7 Cebu)