The UCAP Cocohouse monthly function for this year begins with a luncheon sponsored by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). This happens on Tuesday, January 22 at the La Colina function room, Valle Verde Country Club, Capt. Henry Javier St., Bo. Ugong, Pasig City, Metro Manila. Guest Speaker will be Hon. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Undersecretary for Special Concerns, Department of Agriculture.

       Indonesia figured as the leading origin of Philippine vegetable oil imports in September 2007 according to data from the National Statistics Office, dislodging consistent leader Malaysia. The country’s delivery of 1,062 MT of palm oil comprised 58.3% of total import of 1,823 MT during the month. Palm oil accounted for 60.1% of aggregate vegetable oils import.

       The country’s breakthrough health sugar from coconut sap faces profitable expansion in South Cotabato and General Santos, but still lacks investors to sustain its take-off in the international market. Coconut sugar is now being exported to the United States as a niche food for diabetics and is breaking ground in the China market as well after a Filipino-Chinese has engaged in its production in General Santos. A 3.5 hectare-land planted with hybrid coconut in the province is producing as much as four to six metric tons (MT) of coconut sap sugar per month, helping improve livelihood source for farmers belonging to the Sinawal Small Coconut Farmers Cooperative.

       Erlene C. Manohar, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) project development officer said they are encouraging private investors to put in money and enter into a cooperative partnership with farmers. A PCA investment model shows that a P329,000 per hectare investment on coconut sap sugar gives an internal rate of return of 28 percent over 3.21-year payback period. A one-hectare land is assumed to have 100 coconut trees. This will have total toddy (coconut sap) yield per hectare per month of 7,500 liters and a total sugar production of 1,250 kilos for a sugar-toddy ratio of one kilo of sugar for every six liters of toddy. Coconut sap sugar is foreseen to create numerous livelihood opportunities in rural areas as the process involves a simple farm level technology, but it is labor intensive due to the coconut sap harvesting activity.

       Malaysia is working to develop new, cost-effective fuels from alternative sources, after prices of palm oil have lately risen to record high level. The sharp rise in prices has neutralized the commodity’s advantage as a cheap raw material for producing biofuels. Chow Mee Chin, head of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) Energy and Environment Unit, said under consideration are palm-based materials such as palm kernel cake, empty fruit bunches, palm fiber and palm shells.

       The Chumporn Palm Oil Industry Plc. (CPI), Thailand’s largest palm oil producer, is gearing up to develop production of organic palm oil and penetrate the niche organic market. Karoon Nuntileepong, managing director of CPI said taking control of the entire organic production process is the key to selling organic palm oil overseas. International demand for organic palm oil, which enjoys a 20% price premium over conventional palm oil, has been on the rise due to health concerns among high income consumers, particularly in European countries such as Italy, Netherlands and Germany. The company generates 30 million baht each year from sale of organic palm oil.

       Virgin Atlantic disclosed early this week it would fly one of its Boeing 747 planes on biofuels during a demonstration flight from London to Amsterdam, Netherlands next month. Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic said the test flight, which he called the first of its kind, would yield crucial information on how to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint.

       Finnish oil refiner Neste Oil plans to invest S$1.2 billion (US$840 million) to build the world’s largest biodiesel plant in the city state. Singapore, which hopes to become Asia’s hub for biofuel production, has been wooing foreign companies to set up biodiesel plants on Jurong Island, a petrochemical hub in the western part of the country.

       Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Bayer CropScience AG, and Daimler AG signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly explore the potential for a biodiesel industry based on Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.). Jatropha, a tropical plant from the Euphorbia family, is seen by the three cooperating partners as a promising alternative feedstock for the production of biodiesel. Biodiesel derived from Jatropha nut kernels has properties similar to those of biofuels obtained from oilseed rapes. It is also characterized by a positive CO2 balance and can thus contribute to protecting the climate. The project aims to develop production and quality standards for Jatropha-based biofuel.