PH expects 5% increase in coconut production in 2026

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said on Wednesday that it is expecting a 5% increase in coconut production this year.

"There is an increase in the export commodity and we are expecting an increase also in the production. For last year, that's 14.7 and we hope that we'll be able to improve by at least 5% of its production," said PCA administrator and chief executive officer Dexter Buted in a chance interview with reporters.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that the Philippines produced 4.022 million metric tons of coconut in the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting a 3.5% decline from the 4.018 million metric tons in the same quarter of the previous year.

The full-year 2025 coconut production stood at 14.506 million metric tons, slightly higher than the 14.500 million metric tons in 2024.

The PCA chief noted that the fertilization program is helping in the coconut production.

"We were able to fertilize at least initially 44 million palm last year and there's still fertilization program by this year, but medyo maliit compared to last year. Because we are also dependent on the budget that is given to us by the government," said Buted.

El Niño

Despite the looming threat of El Niño this year, the PCA remains confident about the production of coconuts in the country.

"Strong pa rin, that's our projection," said Buted.

The PCA chief explained that Mindanao, which contributes 50% of the country's coconut production, is less likely to be affected by the phenomenon.

"Not the whole part of the Philippines ang magsa-suffer ng El Niño, probably that would be good only in Luzon and Visayas. But there is hope in Mindanao, because Mindanao registered the half of our production. So 50% of production came from Mindanao," said Buted. — BM, GMA News