Weather stresses on trees cause drop in coco oil exports

MANILA — Philippine coconut oil (CNO) exports, a top dollar earner, dropped in April as biological and weather-induced stresses on coconut trees slowed production, according to preliminary estimates from the United Coconut Associations of the Philippines (UCAP).

CNO exports fell by 22.3 percent to 101,351 metric tons in April 2011 from 130,402 tons in the same period in 2010, UCAP executive director Yvonne Agustin said in a phone interview.

“The decline was not surprising considering the high production for the past three years. It just follows the cycle of high production periods followed by low output,” Agustin said.

Another factor seen to hamper this year’s CNO output is the manifestation of the effects of the 2010 El Niño phenomenon.
Drought stress usually could be felt a year after, Agustin said. /INQUIRER