President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to double its coconut tree planting target for 2025—from 25 million to 50 million—in a bold move to revitalize the coconut industry and restore the country’s status as the world’s leading coconut producer.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. confirmed that the President approved a budget exceeding ₱7 billion to support this intensified replanting effort, which is part of a larger five-year program that aims to plant 100 million coconut trees by 2028.
“The President has allocated additional funds for this, and we will involve coconut farming communities to fast-track the production of planting materials,” said Tiu Laurel.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) revealed that over 8.5 million trees have already been planted this year, with at least 15 million more expected to be planted by year’s end.
The replanting initiative comes at a time when many of the country’s estimated 340 million coconut trees are aging and less productive. Replacing these with younger trees is seen as crucial to improving national yields and meeting rising international demand, particularly as the European Union shifts away from palm oil due to sustainability concerns.
The Philippines currently ranks second to Indonesia, which produced 17.13 million metric tons of coconuts in 2024. The Philippines produced 14.77 million metric tons, based on DA data.
To complement the planting program, the government has also earmarked ₱1.8 billion for fertilization using agricultural-grade salt, with the goal of increasing the average annual coconut yield per tree from 40 to 60 nuts.
“We need to boost productivity while waiting for new trees to mature,” said Tiu Laurel, as the administration pushes for long-term, sustainable growth of the coconut sector.
