There were eight coconut export products that qualified for the top non-traditional coconut exports list, that is, products with export revenue of at least USD100,000 during the month. Topping the list was glycerin which grossed more than two million dollars in January this year. GLYCERIN earned USD2.010 million from export of 1,624 MT. The volume rocketed by 676.8% from same month last year shipment of 209 MT. Top destination was Japan with 631 MT (38.9% share), tracked by China 260 MT (16%), Belgium and Italy at 160 MT apiece (9.9%), New Zealand 102 MT (6.3 %), Korea 66 MT (4.1%), France 60 MT (3.7%). The balance of 185 MT (11.4%) went to Others market category.

       SHAMPOO was the second biggest non-traditional export with foreign exchange receipts of USD322,839 from transactions amounting to 92 MT. Volume, however, dropped by 7.4% from 100 MT at the same time last year. India captured the biggest chunk with 48 MT (51.5%), followed by Thailand with 17 MT (18.7%), Papua New Guinea 10 MT (11.2%), United Arab Emirates 5 MT (5.2%), Taiwan 4 MT (4.9%) and Others 8 MT (8.4%).

       TOILET/BATH SOAP took the third spot with income of USD318,586 from sale of 150 MT. Tonnage during the month rose by a whopping 216.2% from similar month year-ago at 48 MT. Australia was major buyer cornering 70 MT (46.4%) trailed by Singapore 41 MT (27.4%), Saudi Arabia 13 MT (8.5%). Malaysia 6 MT and United Arab Emirates 4 MT jointly shared 6.8%. Others category had a total of 17 MT (11%).

       VIRGIN COCONUT OIL came in fourth with revenue of USD265,713. Total load which stood at 83 MT was up sharply by 48.6% from 56 MT in same period year-ago. Virtually all shipment went to United States at 59 MT or 71.1%. Limited volumes were channeled to Puerto Rico and Brazil which took in 9 MT apiece, Australia 5 MT and Others 1 MT.

       LIQUID COCONUT MILK ranked number five with income of USD183,752 from delivery of 154 MT. The volume cut by 42% prior year data at 266 MT. The United States was almost an exclusive market responsible for 135 MT or 87.2%. The remainder went to Japan at 18 MT and Canada at 1 MT.

       NATA de COCO which filled in the sixth position, earned USD177,764 from purchases of 182 MT. The volume markedly grew by 85.7% from prior year data at 98 MT. Japan remained a top buyer responsible for 141 MT or 77.5% of total sales. The United States was far second importing 18 MT (10%). The next five countries namely, Qatar and Canada at 4 MT apiece, Saudi Arabia 3 MT, Italy and United Kingdom at 2 MT apiece, had a combined share of 8.2%. Various countries took in the remaining 7 MT (4.1%).

       ALKANOMIDE was the seventh top export and earned USD146,431 after trading 91 MT. Current volume shrank substantially by 28% from 127 MT in a similar month year-ago. Almost all shipments were destined for China at 90 MT or 98.3%. The balance was shared by Vietnam and Pakistan.

       The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is pushing for the commercialization of coconut fiber dust as organic fertilizer. Edgardo Esperancilla, DoST regional director in Eastern Visayas, said farmers in the towns of Hernani, MacArthur, Maydolong and Salcedo in Eastern Samar are currently using coco dust as fertilizer. ?We are just piloting the use of coco dust as organic fertilizer in these areas because the product is not yet certified for selling by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority,? he said. Mr. Esperancilla noted that coco dust is widely available in the region because of the 11 coco coir processing plants operating in the area which accumulate an average 90 MT of dust daily. Dust is produced when coconut husks are processed into coco coir fiber which is used in the manufacture of geotextile nets, among others. Coconut husks yield only 30% fiber while the balance 70% is dust.

       Figures from the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) in Sri Lanka show the country exported 1,266 MT of desiccated coconut in January this year. This is a sharp drop by 53.4% from figure in the same period year-ago at 2,715 MT. The shipment was worth USD1.957 million as against USD2.921 million year-ago. Computed average traded price was USD1,546/MT FOB, a hefty rise by 43.4% from last year at USD1,076/MT.

       Combined export of desiccated coconut of the world?s major suppliers, Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka in January this year amounted to 10,452 MT, a sharp drop by 40.9% from a comparable year-earlier period total of 17,683 MT. All exporting countries reflected lesser deliveries during the month compared to a similar month last year.

       Ingredient firm Sabinsa has been granted a US patent for its branded coconut ingredient, which the firm says can be used in functional foods, dietary supplements and cosmetics to support healthy cell growth. The company?s Cococin ingredient is made up of freeze dried water coconut solids, which is said to be rich in essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The new patent, No. 7,300,682, protects Sabinsa?s derivation process and also gives the company exclusive rights to the ingredients composition and its uses in foods, beverages, supplements and cosmetics products. The ingredient is said to help support healthy cell growth and improve overall dermal health.

       European researchers recently reported that trans fats, which are being phased out of food because they clog arteries, may raise the risk of getting breast cancer. They found that women with the highest blood levels of trans fats had about twice the risk of breast cancer compared to women with the lowest levels. However, the researchers said that at this stage they can only recommend limiting the consumption of processed foods, the source of industrially produced trans fatty acids.

       Veronique Chajes of the French national scientific research center at the University of Paris-South and colleagues studied women taking part in a large European cancer trial. They looked at blood samples collected between 1995 and 1998 from 25,000 women who had volunteered to report on their eating and lifestyle habits and then be followed for years to see if they developed cancer. They studied 363 women diagnosed with breast cancer, comparing their blood levels of fatty acids with those of women without cancer. Ms. Chajes and colleagues found that the higher the levels of trans fatty acids the more likely a woman was to have cancer.