The tournament kicks off Thursday, June 11, 2009 at the Coronado Lanes, 4th Level, Starmall Shopping Complex, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila. The next three playoffs happen on June 18, June 26, and July 02. Trophies and special awards await the top bowlers and teams. Sponsoring the tournament are CIIF Oil Mills, Chemrez Technologies, Dumaguete Coconut Mills, Intertek Testing Services Phils., and United Coconut Planter Bank.

       Data from the Philippine Coconut Authority show nine non-traditional coconut products generated export revenue of more than USD100,000 during the month of February, thus making up the top non-traditional export products for the month.

       Leading the pack was GLYCERIN which earned USD1.619 million from export of 957 MT. The volume during the month dropped by 30.3% from 1,374 MT year-ago. Top destination was Japan with 724 MT (75.6% share), followed far behind by New Zealand with 62 MT (6.4%), Spain 43 MT (4.5%) and Indonesia 40 MT (4.2%). Four other countries contributed the remaining volume of 89 MT or 9.3%.

       COCONUT MILK POWDER was the second biggest non-traditional export with gross export receipts of USD1.032 million from sale of 292 MT. The volume was more than four folds the load in February year-ago at 68 MT. Malaysia was leading destination at 114 MT or 39.1%, followed by Sri Lanka at 97 MT or 33.3%. Smaller volumes went to Japan at 27 MT (9.2%) and France at 26 MT (8.7%). Five other countries shared the balance of 28 MT or 9.7%.??

       NATA de COCO landed in the third spot with income of USD327,972. Volume at 293 MT plunged by 21.2% from 372 MT of the previous year. Japan remained the primary market with 237 MT (81.0%), followed far behind by United States with 19 MT (6.4%), U.A.E 10 MT (3.5%) and Canada 9 MT (2.9%). Nineteen other countries contributed the remaining volume of 18 MT or 6.2%.

       VIRGIN COCONUT OIL ranked number four with earnings of USD285,584 from delivery of 93 MT. The volume was higher by 3 MT from the previous year at 90 MT. The United States took in bulk of the export with 55 MT (59.5%). Other markets were the Canada (26 MT), Netherlands (4 MT), Malaysia (3 MT) and South Africa (2 MT). Others market category which comprised of four countries imported a total of 2 MT.

       TOILET/BATH SOAP took the fifth place with revenue of USD269,287 from the sale of 97 MT. The volume reflected a deficit of 71.6% from the prior year data at 342 MT. Saudi Arabia was leading buyer of the month responsible for 51 MT or 52.6% of total sales, followed by Indonesia at 31 MT (31.9%) and U.A.E. at 7 MT (7.7%). Nineteen other countries together bought the remaining 8 MT (7.9%).

       ALKANOMIDE was the sixth top export with proceeds of USD244,177. The month?s volume at 153 MT was 72.2% lower compared to the previous year at 550 MT. Mexico was leading importer with uptake of 100 MT or 65.4% of total business, while China and Canada took in smaller volumes at 32 MT and 21 MT, respectively.

       BALED COIR occupied the seventh place with generated income of USD134,884 from 886 MT export. This month?s tonnage was 104.1% above year-ago data at 434 MT. The shipment was destined to two outlets namely, China with 849 MT (95.7%) and Korea at 38 MT (4.3%).

       LIQUID COCONUT MILK which earned USD117,285 from sales of 68 MT was ranked eighth. The volume rose by 5.4% from 65 MT year-ago. Japan was leading buyer at 33 MT or 47.9% of total sales, trailed by US at 17 MT (24.6%), Netherlands at 15 MT (22.7 %) and Canada at 3 MT (4.7%).

       Figures from the Coconut Development Authority in Sri Lanka revealed the country?s export of desiccated coconut in March stood at 4,972 MT, skyrocketing by 832.8% from same period year ago at 533 MT. The shipment was worth USD5.961 million. Average traded price during the month was USD1,198/MT FOB, down by 35.9% from USD1,870/MT year-ago. The first quarter total export shot up by 369.1% to 12,535 MT from 2,672 MT at the same time a year ago.

       The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in China in a statement said that the government plans to stockpile the new rapeseed crop at prices ?slightly higher than the prevailing market price? to boost farm income. The China Grain Reserves Corp. (Sinograin) will assign qualified companies to buy the rapeseed from farmers in 17 major producing provinces at yuan3.7 ($0.54) a kg as farm input costs have gone up since last year, the economic planning agency said. The purchases will be between June 1 and September 30 for the winter-planted crop, and between September 1 and the end of this year for the spring-planted crop.

       The European Commission (EC) has proposed, subject to discussion by EU?s 27 countries, to allow subsidized storage of virgin and extra virgin olive oils for 180 days, up to a maximum quantity of 110,000 MT. Subsidized storage is a preferred EU scheme as a way to provide income to farmers when internal prices for a commodity fall below a pre-determined trigger to avoid selling at a loss. In the case of olive oil, the trigger price is Euro1,779 ($2,481)/MT for extra virgin olive oil and Euro1,710/MT for virgin olive oil.

       A team of researchers from Sime Darby, Synamatix and Roche-owned 454 Life Sciences, worked together to sequence, assemble, and annotate the oil palm genome. The initiative also analyzed gene expression at various stages of development in order to elucidate oil biosynthesis mechanisms through the sequencing of 12 transcriptomes.