ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) -- President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. led the ceremonial distribution of 8,580 hybrid coconut seedlings to 63 coconut farmers in Capiz.
The hybrid coconut variety, also known as PCA 15-9, is a cross between the Tacunan Dwarf and the Tagnanan Tall varieties. Its nut size is medium to large, and copra per nut is about 286 to 303 grams.
Also, the variety is resistant to bud rot and is relatively tolerant of adverse environments.
Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Provincial Coconut Development Officer Andy Laurilla said that coconut farmers benefited from an estimated worth of P4.2 million hybrid coconut seedlings during the distribution held at the Capiz Gym of the Villareal Stadium here on Oct. 6.
"A certificate of entitlement and token seedlings were awarded during a short program at the gym primarily intended to distribute 25-kilogram of imported rice to 1,000 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries," Laurilla said.
The President, in a meeting with PCA officials at the Malacañang Palace, has tasked the agency officials to come up with a general plan for the development and rehabilitation of the coconut industry as the Department of Agriculture (DA) - attached office carries out a massive coconut planting and replanting program.The proposed Coconut Planting and Replanting Project aims to reinvigorate the coconut industry by planting 100 million trees from 2023 to 2028.
The PCA targets to plant 20 to 25 million trees annually from 2023 to 2028, or 100 million trees under the program.
Capiz Gov. Fredenil Castro and Roxas City Mayor Ronnie Dadivas welcomed the President for the distribution of rice assistance and other social services before proceeding to Aklan and Antique on the same day. (AGP/AAL/PIA Capiz)
