HOW CAN WE BUILD A NEW GENERATION OF SUPER RICH COCONUT FARMERS?

HOW CAN WE BUILD A NEW GENERATION OF SUPER RICH COCONUT FARMERS?

Let me begin with an “inconvenient truth,” borrowing the phrase from Al Gore. If our coconut farmers continue thinking in terms of copra only, they will remain poor—perhaps forever.

Why? Because copra is cheap. That is the simplest explanation, and perhaps the most painful one. No matter how hard farmers work, the margins are too thin. We are asking them to climb a mountain using a ladder that is too short.

So what should we do?

We must change the game entirely.

Instead of selling raw copra, farmers must become producers of high-value products. Virgin coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut flour, coco coir, activated carbon—these are not just by-products; they are profit centers. In many cases, they can earn two to three times more than copra.

But if you ask me where the real breakthrough lies, I will say it without hesitation: biodiesel.

The Philippines already has a biodiesel program based on coconut methyl ester. What used to be a disadvantage—higher cost compared to fossil diesel—is no longer as clear-cut today. With volatile global oil prices, coconut-based biodiesel is becoming more competitive. If we play our cards right, we could even position ourselves as the “Saudi Arabia of Asia” for biodiesel. That may sound ambitious, but ambition is exactly what we need.

Of course, dreams must be grounded in reality.

The first reality is this: our trees are old. Many are what I would call “senile trees,” producing only about 40 nuts per year. Compare that to modern hybrids that can yield up to 150 or even 200 nuts annually. The Philippine Coconut Authority is targeting millions of new plantings, but the question is—are we moving fast enough?

The second reality: farmers cannot wait years for income while new trees mature.

This is where intercropping becomes essential. Why not plant coffee and cacao between coconut trees? Both are high-value crops with strong global demand. Add to that livestock raising—cattle or even native chickens—and suddenly, the farm becomes a multi-income enterprise.

In other words, we stop thinking of a farm as one product, and start thinking of it as a system.

But even that is not enough.

If we want farmers to become truly “super rich,” they must move up the value chain. That means processing at the farm or cooperative level. Why sell raw materials when you can sell finished products? Why depend on middlemen when you can negotiate directly with buyers?

Here is where technology comes in.

Imagine a blockchain-based system—similar to what powers Bitcoin—that tracks every coconut product from farm to export. This would ensure traceability, which is now required in markets like Europe. More importantly, it would allow small farmers to act as one large, organized supplier. That means better prices and stronger bargaining power.

Still, I must raise a concern.

Are we preparing our farmers to become agripreneurs? Do they understand pricing, return on investment, and global markets? Technology alone will not solve poverty. Education will.

Perhaps we need more farm business schools, more partnerships with universities, and more support for innovation. Why not create technology incubators focused on coconut-based enterprises?

Let me end with a simple but urgent question:

If we already have the land, the farmers, and the global demand, what exactly are we waiting for?

The answer, I suspect, is not resources—but decision.

If we decide to move beyond copra, embrace technology, and treat farming as a business, then yes—it is entirely possible to build a new generation of super rich coconut farmers.

And when that happens, we will not just transform an industry. We will transform lives.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

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