The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) will establish shared facilities for coconut farmers cooperatives and local government units to house various types of equipment that will support the value chain of the commodity.

Dionisio Alvindia, PhilMech director, said the move is part of the agency’s mandate under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act.

“The shared facilities setup will comprise of the building, processing equipment and machinery, hauling and transport vehicle, tractor or truck, coconut harvesting equipment, basic testing instruments and other ancillary equipment such as but not limited to power lines, transformers, water pumps, piping, fittings, flanges, valves, waste water treatment and the like,” Alvindia added.

PhilMech also said the shared facility will also be a community-based social enterprise that will focus on applying practical solutions on coconut processing, production and distribution towards developing the local coconut industry.

“These processing plants are shared or jointly used, owned or operated by the farmers’ cooperatives for the manufacturing, packaging, labeling, storing and marketing of selected coconut products or by-products for retail and wholesale distribution to various clients,” Alvindia added

The project will also include copra centrals, copra buying stations, integrated coconut processing centers intended to produce virgin coconut oil, coconut water, coconut water concentrate, coconut flour, coconut skimmed milk, coconut coir from mature and young nuts, coco sap-based processing facilities, integrated processing facilities for pared coconut, frozen meat, bukayo, buko pie, coconut shell charcoal, granulating plant as well as farm service crew.

To provide alternative livelihood during off-season, the proposed shared facilities can also have cacao and coffee processing centers, dairy milk and livestock-based processing centers for farmers that will engage in the production of other food crops and livestock.

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