The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has entered a partnership with Japan’s Mitsui to test advanced nanotechnology for coconut farming, moving forward with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s goal of building a modern, tech-driven and sustainable agriculture sector that lifts productivity and improves farmers’ lives. The memorandum of agrement was signed on July 27 after eight months of discussions, setting the stage for two years of field trials to check if the technology can boost harvests and improve tree health under local growing conditions. Mitsui will provide its specially developed nano-formulated nutrient system, while the PCA will select suitable trial locations and deliver technical guidance throughout the project. Unlike standard fertilizers applied to the soil, this method delivers nutrients straight into coconut trunks: tiny capsules holding nutrients or crop protection supplies are injected directly, letting trees absorb inputs far more efficiently while using very small volumes of solution. Already proven effective in oil palm plantations, the system may also help control pest problems.
PCA chief Dexter Buted said the partnership brings world-class innovation to an industry that supports millions of Filipino households. He noted that successful trials could transform coconut farming by raising yields, strengthening tree health and building greater resilience, letting farmers produce more with fewer resources while making the sector more competitive internationally. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. added that modernizing coconut farming brings wide-reaching benefits, as coconut remains the country’s top agricultural export and a key source of income in rural areas. A stronger, more productive coconut industry will raise household earnings in the countryside, increase export revenues and create more opportunities for millions who rely on the crop, he said, adding that targeted investments in innovation will help sustain the sector’s global standing while advancing the President’s agriculture agenda. The effort forms part of the government’s wider plan to combine science, technology and international cooperation to lift farm output, secure food and export supplies, and build a stronger agricultural economy.
