The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) will distribute salt fertilizers to coconut farmers in Eastern Visayas before the year ends to boost production.

PCA Regional Manager Edilberto V. Nierva said a total of 30,500 bags of salt fertilizer will be delivered in six provinces in the region in the next two weeks. Some 7,625 farmers are expected to benefit from the said initiative.

"We expect that every tree properly applied with salt fertilizer will increase its production by 25%. This will raise or maintain the region’s production level despite the presence of senile trees,” Mr. Nierva said.

The agency’s records showed that Region 8 has 71.71 million coconut trees. Only 58.11 million are bearing fruit, while 13.6 million are non-bearing trees. The rest are old trees.

Since 2008, Mr. Nierva said the agency has distributed 68,717 sacks of salt fertilizer in the region. A total of 10,137 farmers have benefited, he added. “In 2010, we were able to maintain the annual two billion coconut yield despite seasonal low harvest and a growing number of non-bearing trees because of salt fertilizer application,” Mr. Nierva said.

Eastern Visayas ranks next to the Davao Region in terms of copra production, with average yield of 1.25 tons per hectare per year. Coconuts thrive in 649,000 hectares in the entire Eastern Visayas.

The PCA was created pursuant to Presidential Decree 232 on June 30, 1973. It absorbed and assumed the powers and functions of the then Coconut Coordinating Council (CCC), the Philippine Coconut Administration (PHILCOA), and the Philippine Coconut Research Institute (PHILCORIN).

PCA is currently the sole government agency that is tasked to develop the industry to its full potential in line with the new vision of a united, globally competitive and efficient coconut industry.