Coco oil not dirty 

Vegetable oil - PCA 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 9 (PIA)—Except with the ‘coco nutty’ after-taste, coconut oil is never an inferior vegetable oil, and in fact is a better substitute, bares Philippine Coconut Authority Bohol manager Engr. Emiliano Romero. 

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa PIA which was aired over DyTR and 92.7 Bee FM in Tagbilaran, Engr. Romero corrected the notion that coconut oil is dirty oil. 

He said the idea that coconut oil is dirty oil comes from international coconut processors who receive the bulk of shipment from other coconut producing countries like the Philippines. 

And owing to the liquid price of the copra in the world markets, copra producers like the small farmers sometimes find that they would be spending more and getting bigger losses if they cook the coconut kernel or copra right, so they leave copra barely cooked, which is heavier, when processing, Engr. Romero said. 

Improperly cooked copra, especially when stocked long in bodegas ultimately develop molds, most notorious of them is Aspergillus flavus, or aflatoxin. 

Aflatoxin, is a poisonous substance produced by the molds and are dangerous to men and animals. 

Not only that, feeling cheated by the cheap price of copra in international markets, farmers often get even by adding other objects to scale up the over-all weights of the agricultural products, soucres separate from the PCA said. 

However, when properly processed, coconut oil, just like any edible oils extracted from plants are commonly also considered as vegetable oils. 

Nutritionists claim coconut oil is 100% fat, 80-90% of which is saturated fat, giving the oil a firm texture at cold or room temperatures. A coconut fat is made up of smaller molecules of fatty acids, many types of these are in coconut oil. 

The coconut oil also contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, no cholesterol, no fiber, and only traces of vitamins, minerals, and plant sterols. 

As consumer demand for plant-based and healthy food increases, coconut oil has become a popular fat choice for its rich flavor with a mild coconut aroma. 

But, absent commercial scale coconut oil expeller in Bohol, the PCA here is now presenting other alternative measures to keep their coconuts from fruiting and Boholanos from enjoying the benefits of coconut oil. 

We have presented a proposal to the Department of Science and Technology on the coconut oil expeller, which could make coconut oil available to Boholanos, Engr. Romero told listeners of the regular Kapihan. 

With the DOST, we just might be able to stir up the local coconut growers into sticking to the coconut, as a local oil processing could pick up the motivation, he added. 

This too as Governor Arthur Yap bares his plans to make Bohol self-sufficient, one of which would be to value-add coconut products through processing. 

On this, DOST Central Visayas Officer in Charge Engr. Jesus Zamora Jr, was quoted as saying they are looking for lead researchers to help us develop new products from coconut. 

The project with the Bohol Provincial Government, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other government institutions, seeks to find alternatives for farmers amidst sagging prices of copra. 

Bohol has 104,000 hectares of planted coconut. But the province continues to increase areas planted with coconut due to the re-planting program. 

The PCA is pushing for the continued re-planting program of coconut. T 

There are two coconut nurseries in Bohol, namely: Central Visayas Coconut Seed Production Center (CVCSPC) in Calanggaman, Ubay, and the Loay Code Farmer (LCF) in La Salinas, Loay. 

These nurseries produce the hybrid and dwarf varieties of coconut seedlings, which are ready to be planted in the re-planting program in participatory coconut planting, coconut seedling dispersal, and accelerated coconut planting and rehabilitation programs. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol) 

HOME MADE OIL? Bohol PCA manager Engr Emiliano Romero bared the Bohol plan to value-add coconut by getting into local coconut oil expeller which will make coconut oil easily available here. With the DOST, DA and the Provincial Government, PCA is positive this will further motivate Boholanos to replant and enlage the 108,000 hectares of coconut farms here. (PIABohol)