Figures from the National Statistics Office show the Philippines imported 1,643 MT of various vegetable oils in October 2007. The total squeezed last year data for a similar month at 19,590 MT by a whopping 91.6% mainly on account of considerable drop in palm oil and soybean oil purchases. Palm oil, however, remained the top import with 754 MT to account for 45.9% of total delivery. The volume, however, slumped 95.3% from 15,895 MT year-earlier.

       Second biggest import was rapeseed oil which volume at 410 MT represented 25.0% of total. As against last year, figure this month rocketed 144.0% from 168 MT. Corn oil at 210 MT comprised 12.8% and shot up by 60.3% from prior year at 131 MT. Linseed oil at 113 MT recorded the highest growth rate of 189.7% from merely 39 MT year-ago while sesame oil at 62 MT posted the lowest increment of 34.8% from 46 MT. Import under Others category, with volume lower than 25 MT, aggregated 94 MT and comprised 5.7% of total uptake. Notable under this group is soybean oil with total at just 24 MT, a massive plunge by 98.9% from prior year at 2,179 MT.

       The National Statistics Office data also reveal that were 13 countries which exported the various vegetable oils to the Philippines. This was led by Indonesia which shipped in 719 MT of palm oil. This comprised 43.8% of total imports. Denmark was second major source of vegetable oils supplying 357 MT (21.7% share) made up of 223 MT rapeseed oil and 134 MT corn oil. The country was the primary supplier of these oils to the Philippines.

       A new research from Harvard says increased intakes of trans fatty acids may increase the risk of non-aggressive prostate tumors by about 100 percent. This type of tumor represents a large proportion of prostate cancers detected using prostate-specific antigen screening. The study, entitled “A Prospective Study of Trans-Fatty Acid Levels in Blood and Risk of Prostate Cancer” published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, January 2008 issue, adds to a small number of previous studies indicating a positive correlation between markers of trans-fat intake and prostate cancer risk.

       A new regulation requiring producers of virgin and extra-virgin olive oil to disclose in their labels where the olives were picked and pressed has come into immediate effect in Italy. The new law aims to guarantee authenticity and quality of olive oil from Italy, the second biggest producer of olive oil in Europe after Spain. This came after Unaprol, the Italian olive producers’ industry body, and Coldiretti, the farmers’ union, pressed the government to introduce new measures to ensure Italian olive oil is really made from Italian olives.

       The Philippine government is giving high priority on Jatropha curcas as feedstock for biodiesel as compared to other indigenous biodiesel sources. A subprogram under the National Biofuels R&D Program on Jatropha for biodiesel production was initiated by PCARRD (Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development). The subprogram, which focuses on the agriculture side of feedstock production, has five components: 1) Germplasm management, varietal improvement and seed technology; 2) Development of component technologies for Jatropha in various production system; 3) Development of farming system models integrating Jatropha curcas in various production systems; 4) Development of postproduction machinery for Jatropha curcas; 5) Process and equipment development for the production of esterified Jatropha curcas oil.

       With full financial support from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine National Oil Company-Alternate Fuels Corporation (PNOC-AFC), the subprogram started its implementation in July 2007. The University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), DOST, PNOC-AFC, and PCARRD Research, Development, and Extension Team hope to deliver the culture and management of jatropha as feedstock for biodiesel production under Philippine setting within the next three years. The R&D-based integrated jatropha program is envisioned to provide a package of appropriate field-tested production and management technology that considers the Philippine environmental and social milieu to support and sustain an emerging biofuels industry in the country.

       PMC Group North America, a privately held world manufacturer of specialty chemicals and plastics based in New Jersey, has reached agreement to acquire Chemtura Oleochemicals, one of the leading North US producers of oleochemicals and derivatives such as fatty acids, fatty esters, glycerin, glycerol esters, amides, bisamides, stearate and triglycerides. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008, subject to certain conditions and approvals.