For week ending Jul. 26, 2007

       Cumulative figure for the first semester of this year, however, at 675,671 MT copra terms remained sharply below a comparable year-ago period total at 1,122,677 MT by 39.8%. Breakdown is as follows, in MT: coconut oil 324,846 (606,656 last year), copra meal 133,856 (243,563), desiccated coconut 62,024 (65,365), oleochemicals as copra 64,149 (58,672).

       Virtually all of the month’s shipment of copra meal went to Korea with total at 18,176 MT or 84.4% of aggregate. Export to Vietnam at 3,165 MT accounted for 14.7% while limited volume of 200 MT went to New Zealand.

       The tournament was sponsored by the following: Gold Sponsors - CIIF Oil Mills Group, Pilipinas Kao, POMS Ventures Corp., United Coconut Chemicals, San Miguel Corp. Agribusiness, and United Coconut Planters Bank; Silver Sponsor - Cargill Philippines.

       Seaoil Philippines President Glenn Yu personally toured DoE officials and guests through the website, which has various resources to help motorists and others interested in clean-burning fuels. “This website is a work in progress and will be continually improved to respond to the needs of its audience,” he said. Chemrez Technologies Chief Operating Officer Dean A. Lao, Jr., meanwhile, said that the Biofuels Philippines website was put up in response to Filipinos’ clamor for more information on biofuels. “No less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has acknowledged that Filipinos still lack information on biofuels, which explains for the hesitation of some in using biofuels,” he said.

       India’s government cut import duty on edible oil by up to 10 percentage points this week as part of measures to keep prices of essential food items in check following rising prices of vegetable oils in the international market. The new customs duties of selected vegetable oils are as follows: crude palm oil 45% from 50% previously, RBD palm olein 52.7% from 57.5%, crude soya oil 40% from 45%, crude sunflower oil 40% from 50%, refined sunflower oil 50% from 60%.

       The PNOC-EDC logistics and administration group also had been facilitating the use of CME in some of the company’s project sites. The CME plant to be built in Southern Negros geothermal production field will supply the requirements of its vehicle fleet. For the livelihood option, the company has discussed with the provincial government of Negros Oriental the possibility of scaling up the biofuel project to benefit Dumaguete City and nearby urban centers.

       The European Union plans to help developing countries grow energy crops that rich countries want to use as transport fuel as they plan to utilize more low-carbon emission biofuels to reduce dependence on imported oil as well as cut their contribution to global warming. Louis Michel, EU Development Commissioner said the EU will allocate part of a euro220 million (US$300 million) foreign aid budget to offer countries investment and technical skills so they can jump on the biofuel bandwagon. EU was studying how sugar producers from former European colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific or ACP, could turn to ethanol production while others regions could grow oilseed crops.

       The two-year project will start later this year and will produce one to two tons of biodiesel blend per day depending on the volume of waste cooking oil that will be collected. Ho Chi Minh City’s Science and Technology Department will provide VND1.8 billion (USD112,500) to buy facilities for the project while the Sai Gon Petroleum Import-Export Company will supply the petro-diesel to be used in the study.

       Raisio’s Food Division gets 4% of its turnover from Russia. The company accounts for about 10% of the market for tub margarines in Moscow and St. Petersburg and gets around 20% market share of the retail market for traditional cereals in the main market areas in Russia. Raisio’s well-known brands in Russia include the Voimix and Dolina Skandi margarines and the Nordic flakes.

       The International Congress on Biodiesel: The Science and The Technologies will take place on November 5-7, 2007 at the Vienna Hilton, Austria. The congress technical program of over 70 oral presentations and more than 100 poster presentation has been specifically designed to highlight the latest scientific research findings in this important global industry. The ten concurrent session titles include: Engine performance and emissions; Glycerol; New feedstock supply; Government policy and tax situations worldwide; Fuel properties; New production technologies; Quality assurance specifications; and Life cycle and sustainability analysis. The Congress is co-sponsored by AOCS, the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA, and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. For more information contact: Mindy M. Cain, AOCS, at telephone +1 (217) 693-4827, email mindy@aocs.org or visit the website www.aocs.org/meeting/biodiesel.