The United Coconut Planter Bank (UCPB) team successfully defended its crown and bagged its 7th championship win in the tournament that ended last night, June 25. First runner up was the team of Inter-Asia Marine Transport, with team Minola (CIIF Oil Mills) and team Pilipinas Kao as second and third runner up, respectively. Following the top four are Cargill Philippines, Transeaboard-Raco, Mixed Nuts (EU Sons, Iligan Bay Milling and Trading, Mitsubishi Living Essentials, Pacific Royal Basic Foods), Sakamoto Orient Chemicals, Dumaguete Coconut Mills, Intertek Testing Services Philippines.

       Six men bowlers made up the Club 200 (minimum score of 200) namely Ton Carabeo (UCPB, highest score 246), Joven Plan (Cargill, 222), Ric Cruz (Cargill, 210), Rey Doronila (Mixe Nuts ? Pacific Royal, 208), Marc Matias (UCPB, 203), Adrian Tabora (UCPB, 200); while five lady bowlers comprised the Club 175 (minimum score of 175) as follows, Annie Macato (Inter-Asia Marine, 225), Choy Asong (UCPB 209), Joji Milan (Sakamoto, 195), Angie Pacumberto (Minola, 178), Evelyn Lagamon (Transeaboard-Raco, 176). Choy Asong and Ton Carabeo also won the High Series category, and Annie Macato and Ton Carabeo the High Game and High Average categories.

       Data from the Philippine Coconut Authority show eight non-traditional coconut products made it to the top non-traditional exports list, products that generated during the month at least USD100,000. These were: glycerin, toilet/bath soap, nata de coco, shampoo, alkanomide, makapuno, virgin coconut oil and coco peat/dust.

       GLYCERIN was the leading non-traditional export with revenue of USD3.080 million from export of 2,204 MT. The volume rocketed by 126.4% from same month last year shipment of 973 MT. Top destination was Japan capturing 1,514 MT (68.7% share). Limited volume went to Korea 234 MT, China 120 MT, Australia 113 MT and United States 100 MT with combined share of 25.6%. The balance of 122 MT (5.5%) went to 5 other countries.

       TOILET/BATH SOAP was the second biggest export with revenue of USD422,909 from 124 MT sales. Current volume substantially rose by 39.7% from prior year total at 89 MT. There were 22 country recipients of this product with Australia leading the pack at 50 MT (40.4%), followed by U.A.E at 25 MT (19.8%), Guinea 15 MT (12.0%). Export to Indonesia 7 MT, Japan 6 MT and Saudi Arabia 4 MT collectively shared 13.8%. Sixteen other countries jointly accounted for the remaining 17 MT or 13.9%.

       NATA DE COCO took the third spot with income of USD404,971. The month?s volume at 347 MT was 2.8% short of the previous year at 357 MT. Japan remained the biggest buyer at 254 MT or 73.3% of total sales. Limited volume went to USA at 44 MT and Canada at 15 MT, and 13 other countries led by Qatar with uptake no higher than 7 MT.

       SHAMPOO came in fourth place and generated income of USD305,041 from 93 MT export. Volume, however, slumped by 59.4% from the same period year-ago at 229 MT. Taiwan was the biggest destination cornering 48 MT or 51.6% of total market, tracked by Thailand at 15 MT (16.6%) and Fiji 11 MT (11.4%), while 17 other countries led by UAE took in much lesser volume no bigger than 5 MT.

       ALKANOMIDE ranked number five which earned USD272,477 from purchases of 142 MT. Tonnage during the month rose by a hefty 142.9% from a similar month year-ago at 58 MT. Almost all shipments representing 88.9% went to China with 126 MT. Other destinations were Vietnam 13 MT (8.8%) and Thailand 3 MT (2.3%).

       MAKAPUNO was the sixth top export and earned USD197,603 from delivery of 106 MT. The volume was 36.9% higher against the previous year at 77 MT. The United States was leading buyer capturing 48 MT or 45.4% of total business while Canada handled 13 MT or 12.2%. Limited volume went to Qatar at 8 MT, Italy and United Kingdom at 5 MT apiece and Saudi Arabia 4 MT. Twelve other countries shared the remaining volume of 20 MT or 5.8%.

       VIRGIN COCONUT OIL landed in seventh place with gross export receipts of USD196,227 from 73 MT export. Total delivery during the month cut prior year data at 131 MT by 44.8%. The United States was the biggest outlet cornering 53 MT or 73.5% of total market. Limited amounts went to Taiwan at 10 MT, Malaysia at 6 MT, and six other countries led by South Africa which took in no bigger than 2 MT.

       Figures from the National Statistics Office show the Philippine imported 2,141 MT of vegetable oils in January this year. This is less than one-half of imported volume in January last year at 5,210 MT, a deficit of 53.6%. The decline was largely on account of soybean oil which shrank by a massive 98.4% year-on-year to 47 MT from 2,918 MT.

       Indonesia was the leading origin of vegetable oil import in January delivering 1,584 MT which comprised of 1,479 MT of palm oil and 105 MT palm kernel oil. The total was responsible for 65.6% of total trade. Second biggest supplier was Denmark with 473 MT (19.6% share) of which 334 MT was rapeseed oil and 139 MT sunflower oil.

       According to statistics from Oil World, China imported 52,800 MT of lauric oils in April this year. As against 58,300 MT uptake in a similar period last year, current level indicates a 9.4% shortfall. Palm kernel oil, which accounted for 88.4% of total lauric import, increased volume by 9.1% to 46,700 MT from 42,800 MT. Coconut oil, which shared 11.6%, dropped substantially by 60.6% to 6,100 MT from 15,500 MT.

       Indonesia remained the biggest supplier responsible for 89.6% of total during the month with 47,300 MT (56,700 MT year-ago) of which 42,100 MT was palm kernel oil (41,800 MT) and 5,200 MT was coconut oil (14,900 MT). Shipment from Malaysia was 4,600 MT (1,000 MT) of palm kernel oil and accounted for 8.7%. The Philippines was responsible for merely 800 MT (600 MT) of coconut oil or 1.5% share. Other countries aggregately delivered 100 MT of coconut oil.

       Noting the sharp drop last year in India?s palm oil purchases from his country, Malaysia?s Minister of Plantations Industries and Commodities Peter Chin has proposed that both countries jointly focus on downstream facilities for palm oil rather than just importing the edible oil. Indian import of palm oil from Malaysia dropped to 510,000 MT in 2007 from 2.3 million MT in prior years. He added that joint ventures with Malaysian companies to do downstream products or refinery will create new opportunities as againts just selling the commodity to India.

       At the recently concluded FO Licht Biofuels Production Workshop in Warsaw, Poland, Nitin Shete, vice president of biodiesel technology at India-based Praj Industres, reported that world biodiesel production has reached 9.8 billion liters, up 46% from 6.4 billion liters in 2006. He projected that output will continued a healthy growth of 10% to 12% a year, reaching about 31 billion liters in 2012.

       Jiri Trnka, Czech Republic director of the Department of Environmental Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture reports at the FO Licht conference in Warsaw Poland that the country?s biofuels program is now taking off with growing support seen for higher biofuel blends and second generation technology. He added that the Czech government had recently legislated for the inclusion of 2% biodiesel and ethanol by volume in diesel and petroleum. From 2009 the blend will rise to 4.5% for biodiesel and 3.5% for ethanol although these low blends do not attract state subsidies. Higher blends such as E85 for fleet cars and E95 for trucks and buses will attract subsidies.