For week ending February 04, 2010

       Breakdown of projected 2010 export is as follows, in MT: coconut oil 980,000 (808,007 estimate for 2009 and 847,626 in 2008); copra meal 500,000 (377,202 and 435,244); desiccated coconut 132,000 (120,542 and 142,626); oleochemicals as copra 60,000 (26,308 and 68,318).

       Cumulative January-October figure at 28,797 MT jumped 43.5% from 20,072 MT in a comparable year-earlier period. Palm oil was 17,441 MT (7,730 MT year-ago). Other major imports, with volume above 1,000 MT, were: palm kernel oil 3,480 MT (2,420 MT), soybean oil 1,729 MT (2,068 MT), corn oil 1,533 MT (1,775 MT), olive oil 1,433 MT (1,394 MT), and rapeseed oil 1,137 MT (1,891 MT). The remainder had volume ranging 1-744 MT, namely in descending order, linseed oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, castor oil, tung oil and groundnut oil.

       By country of origin, Malaysia topped with delivery of 1,998 MT (45.6% of total) comprising of palm oil 1,871 MT, soybean oil 69 MT and corn oil 58 MT. Indonesia followed with 1,053 MT palm oil (24.0%); then Sweden with 369 MT (8.4%) thereof rapeseed oil 185 MT, corn oil 184 MT; Singapore with 266 MT (6.1%) thereof soybean oil 125 MT, corn oil 92 MT, sesame oil 34 MT, palm oil 15 MT; Denmark with 251 MT (5.7%) thereof rapeseed oil 112 MT, sunflower oil 139 MT; and Belgium with 194 MT (4.4%) of linseed oil. Other vegetable oil sources were US (soya and corn oils); Korea (soya oil); Taiwan, Hong Kong, China (sesame oil); Spain, Italy, Turkey (olive oil); and India (castor oil).

       The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in Western Visayas approved nine productivity enhancement projects under the RP-Japan Grant for Underprivileged Farmers. Ro-ann A. Bacal, NEDA regional director, said the program also known as KR2 program, is part of the agency?s mandate to promote new technologies that can help poor communities in Western Visayas. One of the nine projects relates to the coconut industry, the Coco Fiber Processing Project by the Western Visayas State University.

       U.S. pop star and a coconut water fan, Madonna, invested nearly $1.5 million in Vita Coco, maker of coconut water drink, her manager Guy Oseary said. New York Post reported last month that the ?Material Girl? singer also convinced a number of other celebrities to invest in the New York-based company, among them film stars Mathew McConaughey and Demi More, and singer Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The celebrity investments, along with an investment by Oseary, are estimated to total less than $10 million, but represent a minority stake in Vita Coco.

       The Solvent Extractors? Association of India (SEAI) says the country was the world?s biggest edible oil importer in 2009. It cited a decline the country?s oilseed production, the appreciation of the rupee against the US dollar, and the zero import duty in recent months as contributing to record importation that surpassed China as the biggest edible oil buyer. Imports of crude edible oil into India leaped 35% to a record 8.4 million MT last year, exceeding China for the first time in the last six years, even though the country saw its own imports increase by 8.4% to 8.16 million MT. Almost 80% of India?s edible oil purchases consisted of palm oil.

       In his recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama listed international trade as one of his top priorities for expanding the U.S. economy. ?We need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America,? he said as he issued the challenge to double U.S. exports over the next five years, with specific focus on helping farmers and small businesses increase their exports. President Obama emphasized the importance of seeking new markets aggressively in order to create U.S. jobs. He pledged to pursue the Doha trade agreement and to strengthen trade relations with key partners, including South Korea, Panama and Colombia.

       Ecolab Inc. announced last week it has developed a product called Exelerate?ZRF to help food manufacturers address the problem. Timothy P. Mulhere, Ecolab?s senior vice president and general manager, Food & Beverage North America explained that Ecolab developed Exelerate ZTF as part of the company?s ongoing effort to deliver the solutions food processors need to produce safer, high-quality products and measurably improve operational efficiency. Exelerate ZTF breaks down difficult polymerized oil soils on fryers, ovens, mixers and other plant surfaces enabling them to be cleaned more thoroughly. The gelled product application clings to equipment and surfaces to dissolve zero trans fat soils, making it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas, including fryer hood vents, walls, ceilings and plant catwalks.

       Environmental groups including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network have been putting pressure on companies to buy palm oil sustainably. By putting pressure on the company to change, RAN hopes to catalyze change in the industry. ?General Mills could do a lot to transform the palm oil supply in the food industry and to protect rainforests, communities and the climate,? said the RAN campaigner Madeline Gardner. General Mills, however, claims the accusations are unfounded. The company said that it only buys from suppliers that are members of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

       AME increased linearly with increasing inclusion of glycerol. Glycerol inclusion did not affect body weight, live weight gain, and feed intake. Nor did glycerol inclusion affect growth parameters or meat quality. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved with increasing glycerol inclusion, and 6.7% glycerol inclusion resulted in the most efficient feed conversion.