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Archives
June 1-30, 2007
International conference on coconut proposed
by Rita T. dela Cruz
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| BAR-MISD OIC Julia A. Lapitan (left) meets with President and CEO Danilo Coronacion of CIIF (2nd from left), Ms. Dolores Velasco (2nd from right), and AIM Associate Director Corazon Jimenez (right) during a preliminary briefing proposing the conduct of an international conference on coconut this November. |
To further boost current efforts and competitive advantage of the coconut sector, an “International Conference on Coconut” was proposed by President and CEO Danilo M. Coronacion of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF), Coconut Oil Milling Group, Philippines during a preliminary briefing on 27 June 2007 at the Malaysian Room, Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Makati City.
Also present during the briefing were AIM Associate Director Corazon T. Jimenez, Ms. Dolores I. Velasco, and Bureau of Agricultural Research-Management and Information System Division (BAR-MISD) OIC and Assistant Head Julia A. Lapitan.
“A consolidated effort would be more effective in enhancing competitiveness of the coconut sector by addressing common concerns and issues especially on the supply side such as obsolete technology, product standards, farm productivity, tariffs and low farm income and trade issues on market access, export competition and domestic support,” President Coronacion said.
When asked how the conference is different from the National Coconut Week spearheaded by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and celebrated during August, he said that the activity has a different target audience since it hopes to focus not only on world trades and joint ventures, but more on the policy, business, and social aspects of the coconut industry.
Specifically the conference hopes to: 1)share opportunities in the coconut sector available to both existing and potential investors such as China market, technology, and other joint ventures; 2) strengthen policy implementation for a more competitive coconut sector in the Philippines through cooperation with other key players in the industry; and 3) support initiatives to promote farm level productivity programs.
Tentatively, the one-day international conference is scheduled in November 2007 in connection with the coming Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) Session to be held in Manila also in the same month.
Among the institutions proposed to be involved in the conference are: AIM Policy Center; CIIF, PCA, DA-BAR, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), United Coconut Associations of the Philippines, Inc., (UCAP), and Asian Vegetable Oil Club (AVOC).
It was agreed that AIM Policy Center will be the Secretariat for the event.
Other nitty-gritty aspects of the conference will be further discussed at the next meeting wherein all organizations involved will be invited. 
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