It’s all systems go for the tournament which starts on Wednesday next week, June 04, 2008 at the SM Bowling Center, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila. The tournament is sponsored by Cargill Philippines, CIIF Oil Mills, Intertek Testing Services, Pilipinas Kao, and United Coconut Planters Bank. Trophies will be given out to the top bowlers/teams and winners of special awards.

       Preliminary data from UCAP reveal export of Philippine coconut products in April this year rose 13.4% year-on-year to 193,763 MT copra terms from 170,941 MT. Of major exports, only desiccated coconut showed reduced shipment while the rest achieved double-digit increases from respective year-ago levels. Coconut oil hiked 18.9% to 108,771 MT from 91,515 MT, copra meal shot up 57.7% to 32,841 MT from 20,822 MT, oleochemical leaped 42.2% to 10,052 MT from 7,067 MT; while desiccated coconut shrank 40.6% to 7,153 MT from 12,038 MT.

       One-half (50.1%) or 54,450 MT of total export in April was destined for Europe. The United States took in 28.3% or 30,811 MT while China handled 15.6% or 16,960 MT. Other markets such as India and Japan were responsible for 4,000 MT and 2,550 MT, respectively.

       Local scientists are encouraging investors to adopt the makapuno embryo culture technology to mass produce makapuno and meet the growing demand both in the domestic and foreign market. Former Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Tissue Culture Division chief, Erlinda Rillo said that at present, embryo culture technology is the “only way to mass produce true-to-type makapuno palms”. She said that locally, there is supply deficiency of around 4,000 MT of makapuno meat annually. She cited Region 4A where demand for makapuno amounts to around 1,183 MT versus supply in the region of only close to 85 MT. In Metro Manila, demand is about 1,327 MT but has no supply.

       In the export market, makapuno was 9h top non-traditional export in 2007 based on revenue generation, following after glycerin, virgin coconut oil, shampoo, coconut milk powder, nata de coco, toilet/bath soap, liquid coconut milk, coco handicrafts. Export at 900 MT was valued USD1.697 million. US, Canada and United Arab Emirates were top three markets responsible for 40.7%, 11.9% and 10.1%, respectively of total volume. Other destinations were Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia, Netherlands, Italy. Makapuno is used in the local market mainly for pastries and ice cream production. Other industries where the potential of makapuno is being tapped are in the pharmaceuticals, medical, and personal care products.

       Dorab Mistry, director of Godrej International said world demand for vegetable oils is set to remain tight over the coming years even from the booming palm oil industry. At the FO Licht World Biofuels 2008 conference in Seville, he mentioned that it was the traditional food and oleochemicals demand for vegetable oils that was driving demand, rather than biofuels. He explained that booming economic and population growth in major developing markets such as China, India, Russia, Brazil and Mexico is expanding vegetable oil demand at about 4 million tons a year, whereas biodiesel expansion is proceeding at a more modest pace, pushing up vegetable oil demand by between 1 million to 2 million tons annually. In the next five years or so, the world must prepare to produce an additional 25 million tons of vegetable oil, he added.

       Scientists at Argentina’s University of La Plata have developed a “healthy hamburger” free of saturated fats. The healthy hamburger already passed the yummy test with 40 children and adults who tried it and compared its flavor, texture and quality to that conventional hamburger. The new burgers prepared in the laboratory are made from top-quality lean beef with marine and vegetable oils such as high oleic sunflower oil.

       Unilever has pledged to buy only certified sustainable palm oil beginning the second half of this year. It also said it would ensure the palm oil used in Europe was also certified as sustainable by 2012. Unilever Chief Executive Patrick Cescau said in a statement, “Suppliers need to move to meet the criteria, by getting certified both the palm oil from their own plantations and the palm oil they buy from elsewhere”.

       A proposed legislation requiring the use of renewable fuels won support in the House of Commons recently though still must go through final vote before going through the Senate. The bill calls for petroleum used in the country to contain 5% ethanol by 2010. It also calls for diesel to contain 2% renewable fuels by 2012. The mandate would create demand for an estimated 2 billion liters of ethanol and 600 million liters of biodiesel.