Philippine Export of Coconut Products Up in December 2019

Official figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority  show export of coconut products from the Philippines totaled 188,644 MT in copra terms, increasing by 9.8% from same month year-ago at 171,779 MT.  Gross export receipts amounted to USD143.177 million, a slight rise by 2.3% over last year at USD139.903 million.

Export of coconut oil hiked 7.8% at 101,826 MT from 94,487 MT a year earlier while that of by-product copra meal sharply increased by 31.5% at 29,989 MT from 22,807 MT.  Export of desiccated coconut likewise steeply grew by 31.0% at 14,689 MT from 11,210 MT.  Oleochemicals was an only loser with shipment dropping slightly by 3.6% at 4,305 MT as copra from 4,468 MT.

Other products performed as follows, in MT: coco shelll charcoal 8,858 (+143.1% from 3,644 last year), activated carbon 5,771 (+9.7% from 5,259), virgin coconut oil 1,496 (+4.7% from 1,428), coco water 1.081 million liters (-78.7% from 5.081 million), fresh coconuts 7,599 nuts (-93.8% from 122,485), Others 24,949 (+202.0% from 8,261).

Export for calendar year 2019 reached 2,097,387 MT in copra terms, pronouncedly besting by 18.2% a similar period last year total at 1,774,124 MT.  However, generated revenue dropped 12.7% at USD1.638 billion from USD1.876 billion dragged by low prices of top exports. 

Commodity breakdown is as follows, in MT: copra nil (92 last year), coconut oil 1,141,566 (951,353), copra meal 304,530 (400,759), desiccated coconut 155,034 (127,889), oleochemicals as copra 45,684 (66,222); coco shell charcoal 87,878 (33,690), activated carbon 78,252 (73,359), virgin coconut oil 21,416 (24,897), coco water 51.839 million liters (76.208 million), fresh coconuts l.958 million nuts (1.507 million), Others 215,211 (115,761).