DOST Assists Sorsogon Farmers to Improve Method of Coconut Vinegar Processing

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through its Sorsogon provincial office, has released last week a Ph520,000 grant to the Banana Lakatan Cultivators Association (BLCA) to establish an accelerated coconut water vinegar production in Barcelona town. DOST-Sorsogon Provincial Director Sandro Noguera said the assistance will improve and boost the traditional method of vinegar making and increase the farmers’ income and production.

With the new technology, it is expected to shorten acetic acid fermentation from five months to one to six days.  Noguera said, before the DOST grant, about 40,374 liters of coconut water were being wasted annually by BLCA during copra production, instead of being utilized in producing other products like vinegar.  

Technical trainings will be conducted for 78 association members on the proper use of acetator for fermentation, calculation, food safety and analysis, Noguera said.  “We will monitor them monthly as to the operation of the technology and for three years, we will help them for the duration of the project.”