Preliminary UCAP data show Philippine export of coconut products in December 2009 accelerated by 44.4% year-on-year to a 20-month high of 205,014 MT in copra terms from 141,972 MT. All of major exports registered sharply increased turnover during the month. Coconut oil lifting jumped 47.4% to 115,595 MT, the highest this year, from 78,419 MT. Shipment of byproduct copra meal shot up 127.6% to 49,607 MT from 21,800 MT. Oleochemicals purchases rocketed 348.6% to 4,648 MT in copra terms from 1,036 MT while desiccated coconut slightly rose by 2.6% to 10,919 MT from 10,647 MT.

       The preliminary UCAP data also show Europe as primary destination of coconut oil export during the month cornering 48.5% or 56,039 MT. The United States market at 37,613 MT accounted for 32.5%. Malaysia was third major destination with 12,252 MT for a 10.6% market share. Other importers were China with 3,878 MT (3.4%), Korea 3,500 MT (3.0%), Japan 2,130 MT (1.8%), Pakistan 183 MT (0.2%).

       Data from the Philippine Coconut Authority show nine non-traditional coconut products generated revenue of more than USD100,000 in October 2009 to qualify for the top non-traditional export list. Still leading the pack was GLYCERIN which earned USD1.017 million from export of 1,559 MT. This month?s volume was above 9.0% from previous year figure at 1,430 MT. Top destination was China with 770 MT (49.4% share), followed by Japan with 277 MT (17.8%), Iran at 210 MT (13.5%), Korea at 140 MT (9.0%); limited volume went to Russia at 78 MT, Malaysia and Taiwan at 23 MT apiece. Three other countries shared the remaining load of 39 MT.

       Second biggest non-traditional export was TOILET/BATH SOAP with export receipts of USD623,228 from sale of 234 MT. Volume was 47.3% higher from 159 MT at the same time last year. Thailand was the biggest buyer capturing 98 MT (41.8%) of total business while UAE handled 43 MT (18.3%). Limited volume went to Indonesia at 27 MT, Malaysia at 21 MT, Australia 20 MT and Singapore 12 MT. Nineteen other countries shared the remaining volume of 13 MT.

       VIRGIN COCONUT OIL took the third spot with income of USD492,207 from 165 MT shipment which is notch higher from 164 MT a year earlier. The United States was the primary market with 142 MT (86.2%), followed far behind by Belgium at 16 MT (10.0%). Nine other countries shared the remaining volume of 8 MT.

       COCONUT MILK POWDER ranked number four with proceeds of USD390,919 from delivery of 125 MT. Shipment during the month shot up by 96.1% from 64 MT year-ago. Malaysia was leading buyer cornering 49 MT or 39.1% of total trade, followed by France at 26 MT (20.4%), Japan 25 MT (20.3%), China 12 MT (9.2%) and Korea 6 MT (4.9%). Four other countries shared the remaining volume of 8 MT.

       NATA DE COCO landed fifth with turnover of USD388,913 from 425 MT sale. Tonnage during the month rose by 55.1% from 274 MT in the same period year-ago. Virtually all shipments went to Japan at 333 MT or 78.4%. Limited volumes were channeled to United States at 24 MT, Germany at 18 MT, Hong Kong at 17 MT and Canada at 12 MT. Nineteen other countries shared the remaining volume of 21 MT.

       SHAMPOO was sixth top export with earnings of USD189,677 from delivery of 58 MT. Shipment during the month exceeded by 3 MT previous year total at 55 MT. Saudi Arabia was leading buyer capturing 29 MT or 50.7% of total business; followed by Singapore at 11 MT. Limited volumes went to Mongolia 6 MT, Japan 3 MT, United States 2 MT and Hong Kong 2 MT while 13 other countries shared the remaining volume of 5 MT.

       COCO FLOUR came in seventh place and generated income of USD150,746 from 108 MT export (only 1 MT year-ago). There were six country recipients of the product led by Germany, which took in 64 MT representing 58.7% of total traded volume. The next five outlets were Cambodia at 19 MT, Malaysia at 12 MT, Korea 9 MT, United States 4 MT and South Africa 1 MT.

       ?LIQUID COCONUT MILK which earned USD130,195 from export of 76 MT (67 MT) filled in the eighth place. The United States was the biggest destination responsible for 22 MT or 29.7% of total market, tracked by Belgium at 18 MT (23.8%), Japan at 16 MT (20.8%), Italy 14 MT (19.0%) and Canada 5 MT (6.5%).

       Indonesia?s industry minister, MS Hidayat, told reporters recently that the government is planning to set an export quota for palm oil within the next five years in order to boost the by-product industry. ?For the downstream industry to grow, we need to limit exports by introducing a quota system,? the minister said. In future, firms will be penalized for shipping more than their quota, while those who produce refined products will get incentives.

       Researchers are creating a reference genome for sunflower to enable the breeding of crops better suited to their growing environment and consumers? tastes. The 10.5 million dollar research project titled, Genomics of Sunflower, will use next-generation genotyping and sequencing technologies to sequence, assemble and annotate the sunflower genome. The project will also locate the genes that are responsible for agriculturally important traits such as seed-oil content, flowering, seed-dormancy, and wood producing-capacity. The sunflower family is currently the world?s largest plant family, containing 24,000 species of plants, including many crops, medicinal plants, horticulture plants and noxious weeds.

       The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has renewed its consumer campaign last week to cut down on bad fats with the publication of survey data indicating that consumers of semi-skimmed milk, with around 2 per cent fat, may be quite willing to switch to 1 per cent milk instead and not taste the difference. It has also launched a mobile phone application, and a 21-day campaign in cooperation with The Sun newspaper. FSA?s saturated fat and energy intake program aims to reduce population intake of saturated fat to no more than 11 percent of energy intake for everyone over the age of 5. Current average consumption is around 20 percent higher.