Switching to Buko Juice from Soft Drinks to Help Coconut Farmers

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is urging national agencies and local government units (LGU) to serve buko (green coconut) juice in their events and seminars instead of soft drinks to help coconut farmers affected by dropping copra prices. PCA Eastern Visayas Manager Jeffrey De Los Reyes said serving buko juice is one way of focusing attention on 3.5 million people in the country who are dependent on the coconut industry. 
“If one-half of our population will drink buko juice everyday, it will be a big help to our farmers. With the help of LGUs, let’s make buko available even in subdivisions, ”De Los Reyes said during the Summer Buko Fest held at the PCA regional office last week. 
He said the price of copra has shrunk by 60 percent, from P38 to P12 per kilo since January last year, adding that the crisis the industry is facing an awakening to explore other opportunities apart from copra. Aside from fresh buko juice, PCA is also pushing for other value-added products such as coconut sugar, coconut wine (tuba), vinegar, coco coir and pastries.