Official figures from the Philippine Coconut Authority show the Philippines exported 134,008 MT of coconut products measured in copra terms. This is a whopping 76.7% increase from a similar month last year data at 75,857 MT. Gross export receipts likewise leaped sharply by 42.6% at USD79.107 million from USD55.464 million year-ago.

       The increase in export was credited almost exclusively to coconut oil which saw tonnage leaped by 106.0% at 74,578 MT from 36,195 MT. Shipment of by-product copra meal correspondingly shot up by 177.1% to 70,785 MT from 25,541 MT. Trade of desiccated coconut fell by 17.7% to 8,629 MT from 10,479 MT while oleochemicals rose slightly by 3.0% to 2,268 MT in copra terms from 2,202 MT. A limited volume of copra was exported during the month amounting to 22 MT as against nil last year. Other products performed as follows, in MT: coco shell charcoal 1,621 (-42.7% from 2,828 last year), activated carbon 2,388 (+19.5% from 1,997), glycerin 1,913 (+99.8% from 957), fresh coconuts 197 (+22.3% from 161), Others 1,656 (-32.7% from 2,462).

       Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) show the Philippines imported 3,702 MT of various vegetable oils in February. This is a hefty 47.0% upturn from February last year at 2,519 MT. The increase was exclusively on account of palm oil which was the only growth driver among vegetable oils with exponential rise by over 8-fold from last year at 316 MT to 2,940 MT. The volume was 79.4% of total uptake.

       The rest of the oils reflected double-digit declines, excepting rapeseed oil and sesame oil which had no recorded shipment last year. Rapeseed oil, a far second, accounted for 7.2% with 265 MT, followed by soybean oil with 158 MT (180 MT last year), corn oil 130 MT (153 MT), olive oil 101 MT (180 MT), sesame oil 71 MT, linseed oil 26 MT (134 MT), and sunflower oil 11 MT (57 MT). There was no import of palm kernel oil during the month compared to 1,500 MT last year.

       The NSO data also show there were 11 country sellers of vegetable oil purchases in February. Leading the pack was Indonesia which supplied 1,673 MT of palm oil for a market share of 45.2%. Malaysia was strong second with 1,353 MT (36.5% share) comprising largely of palm oil at 1,267 MT and limited amounts of soybean oil, corn oil and sesame oil, respectively at 46 MT, 32 MT, and 8 MT. Sweden was third biggest vegetable oil origin with 318 MT (8.6%), the sole supplier of rapeseed oil during the month with 265 MT as well as leading corn oil seller with 53 MT.

       Data from Oil World show China imported 73,600 MT of lauric oils in March this year, a minimal drop by 0.3% from March last year total at 73,800 MT. Coconut oil comprised the bulk of import amounting to 41,800 MT (56.8% share) while palm kernel oil was 31,800 MT (43.8%). Import of coconut oil during the month grew by a hefty 164.5% from last year at 15,800 MT while that of palm kernel oil markedly shrank by 45.2% from 58,000 MT.

        Indonesia was the country?s major source of lauric oil contributing 48.5% from delivery of 35,700 MT (41,800 MT year-ago) which consisted of 20,700 MT (8,700 MT) of coconut oil and 15,000 MT (33,100 MT) of palm kernel oil. The Philippines contributed 21,200 MT (6,600 MT) or 28.5% of coconut oil. Malaysia supplied 16,800 MT (24,900 MT) of palm kernel oil and was responsible for 22.8%. Supply from other countries was 100 MT of coconut oil (500 MT).

       Argentina has offered to reduce the level of solvent residues in soya oil shipments in a bid to resolve the trade dispute with China. Sources at Argentina?s agriculture ministry said China?s agricultural control body has yet to formally inform Argentina of their position after discussing with them Argentina?s proposed system of control. Argentina is also using diplomatic channels in an effort to settle the conflict which has forced soya oil exporters to look for new markets.

       A new report from the Kondinin Group says Australia will plant more transgenic canola (rapeseed) this year for the third straight year. Kondinin Group is Australia?s leading provider of independent information for agriculture, facilitating the knowledge transfer from industry to primary producers, advancing their farming operations. With the introduction of genetically modified (GM) canola into Western Australia, the Group has estimated that more than 90,000 hectares will be grown across Australia this year, nearly 20% of the 461,000 hectares sown to all canola in the country in 2009. If the estimate proves correct, it will be a 120% increase from the 41,000 hectares in 2009 grown with GM canola and amount to roughly tenfold from the initial 9,600 hectares. In its research, Kondinin found increasing acceptance to the crop within the farming community, with 51% of growers surveyed saying they supported the introduction of GM crops.

       Spanish bioenergy giant Abengoa has said it will no longer buy palm oil from Indonesia?s Sinar Mas Group until the latter can demonstrate that it complies fully with the social environmental sustainability policies pursued by Abengoa. The company?s biofuels unit asked its raw materials providers to exclude palm oil from any unit of the Sinar Mas group, saying that all of Abengoa?s suppliers must measure their greenhouse-gas emissions or promise to do so within an agreed time span.

       Croda International Plc (?Croda?) announces that it has agreed to sell its Emmerich Site and associated business in Germany to KLK Emmerich GmbH, a subsidiary of the KLK Group (Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad), for ?60.5 million. The disposal largely completes Croda?s restructuring program to re-position its oleochemical operations following the acquisition of Uniqema in 2006. The Emmerich Site produces fatty acids and glycerin, most of which were sold into Croda?s Industrial Specialties market. Croda acquired the Emmerich site as part of the Uniqema acquisition.

       Health Canada has published in the Canada Gazette early this month proposed regulations that would allow certain natural health products to continue to be sold in Canada while they complete the full licensing process. The proposals are designed to provide a temporary route to market for products that applied for, but not yet received, a product license under Canada?s Natural Health Products Regulations (NHPR) which came into force in 2004.