Official data from the Philippine Coconut Authority show consolidated Philippine coconut products export in August this year leaped 28.0% year-on-year to 116,464 MT in copra terms from 90,967 MT. Gross export proceeds, however, slumped 29.6% to USD68.870 million from USD97.843 million on sharply reduced prices.

       Of major exports, only coconut oil posted increment during the month. Shipment at 63,000 MT shot up by 62.3% from 38,823 MT year-ago. The rest suffered double-digit deficits. Copra meal delivery contracted by 43.1% to 16,993 MT from 29,875 MT; desiccated coconut plummeted 39.3% to 9,754 MT from 16,058 MT; and oleochemicals shrank 69.4% to 1,383 MT in copra terms from 4,516 MT. Other products performed as follows in MT: coco shell charcoal 3,068 (+68.6% from 1,820 MT last year), activated carbon 1,501 (+34.0% from 1,121), glycerin 856 (-30.2% from 1,226), fresh coconuts 200 (+84.4% from 108), Others 2,194 (+22.5% from 1,791).

       Export of coconut oil in August consisted of 43,108 MT crude coconut oil, 19,000 MT cochin (refined, bleached) coconut oil, and 893 MT RBD (refined, bleached and deodorized) coconut oil. Europe was leading destination with volume at 29,207 MT comprising 46.4% of total, followed by Taiwan with 13,263 MT accounting for 21.1%, and the United States with 12,296 MT representing 19.5%.

       Export of desiccated coconut in August at 9,754 MT was channeled to 40 various countries. The United States maintained leadership with 2,667 MT which made up 27.3% of total. Netherlands was second major destination cornering 1,091 MT or 11.2%. Four other significant buyers namely Germany 795 MT, United Kingdom 752 MT, Canada 596 MT, and Australia 507 MT jointly shared 27.1%.

       Like copra meal, this month?s shipment of coconut shell charcoal at 3,068 MT went exclusively to four Asian countries led by Japan which was responsible for 1,759 MT or 57.3%. China was second biggest market with 865 MT (28.2%), tracked by Korea 344 MT (11.2%) and Taiwan 100 MT (3.3%).

       Chemrez Technology Inc., the Philippines? biggest producer of biodiesel is pushing for higher biodiesel content in diesel fuel blend, saying there is enough production capacity for a 5 percent blend. Dean A. Lao, Jr., Chemrez?s chief operating officer explained that the current blend of 2 percent (B2) translates to 40 percent utilization of the industry?s total production. The 5 percent blend (B5) would require about 300 million liters of biodiesel as against the industry?s installed capacity which is above 365 million liters already.

       Figures from the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) in Sri Lanka show the country exported 3,428 MT of desiccated coconut in August this year. This is a sharp drop by 26.0% from figure in the same period year-ago at 4,638 MT.

       The shipment was worth USD3.773 million, a massive contraction by 58.8% when compared against USD9.178 million year-ago. Calculated average price at USD1,100.55/MT FOB was a sharp drop by 44.4% from prior year at USD1,979.02/MT. However, total export in January-August at 27,498 MT jumped by 58.2% from a comparable year-ago period data at 17,386 MT.

       The current low prices of coconuts are distressing coconut growers India. Sukumara Pillai, chairman of Kerala Marketing Federation (Kerafed), the apex body of co-operative societies of coconut farmers in the southern Indian state, blamed the situation on the changeover of coconut growing from plantation mode to homestead growing which has re-drawn the economies of scale for producing the nut, with the diminishing return from coconut totally disheartening both growers and traders.

       Data from Oil World show China imported 42,800 MT of lauric oils in August this year. This is 10.3% more than August last year total at 38,800 MT. Palm kernel comprised the bulk of import amounting to 37,900 MT (88.6% share) while coconut oil was 4,900 MT (11.4%). Purchases of palm kernel oil during the month increased by 13.1% from last year at 33,500 MT while that of coconut oil declined by 7.5% from 5,300 MT.

       Indonesia was the country?s major source of lauric oil responsible for 63.6% at 27,200 MT. This consisted of 23,000 MT of palm kernel oil (18,300 MT last year) and 4,200 MT of coconut oil (4,700 MT). Malaysia contributed 14,800 MT (15,500 MT) of palm kernel oil only which accounted for 34.6%. The Philippines supplied 400 MT (600 MT) of coconut oil only. Other countries shipped 300 MT (100 MT) of coconut oil only.

       China, both the world?s largest rice producer and edible oil consumer, currently relies on imports for 66% of its edible oil needs. On the other hand, the country has large amount of rice bran from which rice bran oil can be extracted. Presently, however, it is simply used for animal feed. Tu Changming, trading director with the China operation of Wilmar International said, ?Most of Chinese rice mills are small in size with backward technology and rice bran has been ignored and not fully utilized.?

       The Malaysia Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry plans to reduce the blending ratio of biodiesel with fossil diesel to 3% from 5% currently due to the slow take-up rate. The ministry is planning to table the proposal to the Cabinet soon. ?We want to push for B3. I will present a paper to the Cabinet and hopefully, it will be done by the end of this year,? Bernard Dompok, plantation industries and commodities minister told reporters after officiating the International Palm Oil Congress 2009.

       Biodiesel producers in Brazil lauded the government?s proposal to gradually increase the amount of biodiesel in diesel fuel to 20 percent in big cities by 2015. Sergio Beltrao, head of the Brazilian Biodiesel Union, an association of producers and researchers of biofuels, told a press conference that their producers? plants would be able to provide the new biofuel as of 2010. This would mean an increase of 2,500 million liters.