President Quezon and the coconut industry

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Part of The Coconut Journal

Title: President Quezon and the coconut industry
extracted text: e :J be Cbroniclc of a Prnidfnt') !Jattlr to �1we att ittdtofry PRESIDENT qUEZON AND THE COCONUT INDUSTRV By SOL H. GWEKOH (Editor's Note: - This issue of the "Coconut Journal" commemorates the first anniversary of the organization of the National Coconut Corpora tion and is dedicated to His Excellency, President Manuel L. Quezon, who celebrates his 63rd birthday on the 19th of this month. It was due to the tire less determination of the President to help the coco nut industry that made poss;ible the enactment of Commonwealth Act No. 518 creating the National Coconut Corporation. As a Coconu� Planter C O�IING from the province of Tayabas, which is , within the iarj!'est coconut-growing region in the Philippines, President l\Ianuel L. Quezon has become a coconut planter, one of the thousands in the Philpendent for their living, he has time and again shown gr8at interest in the matter and has not allowed any opportunity to pass by without trying to be of help to the coconut industry in general and to the planters in particular. He has sponsored le gislation, recommended missions, has gone out of his way to talk personally to the coconut growers, and has appeared before coconut conventions in order to apprise himself of the actual needs and problems of the industry. Under his presidency the coconut industry has progressed greatly; thE Government has exerted all efforts and utilized all means in order to resurrect it from its once morbid condition. Today, through his unceasing efforts and initia tive, the coconut industry is once more back to its former commanding position in the market both domestic aud for eig·n. Through the National Co conut Corporation it is bound to live again those days when a co conut man would not mind giv ing away a ten-peso bill for a pair of shoes or the like. Coalition Platform Pledges Sup port to Industry The President inspecting a coconut plantation in Zamboanga As far back as 1935 when the political moguls of the Philip pin8s found the necessity of merging the two political fac tions - the antis and the pros for the sake of putting up a united front in the first presi dential elections in the country, ippint:'s today. He has a plantation in Baler, Taya bas. Several years a�ro \Vhen copra business was brisk, the President could get as much as P3,000 a year, but in these days when there is a lull in the market, he confesses that it yields him an income of only some PHiO annually. Debt of the Coconut Industry Aside from this, Pre�ident Quezon has no other penwnal holrling- iu the coconut industry. However, as he knows that the industry is one of the most important in the Philippines and upon which mil lion� of his countrymen in the provinces are dethe leaders had already realized the precarious si tuation of the coconut industry, so that in the Coalition platform the coalesced parties pledged their support on the organization of the pr<'ducers of coco nut for the defense and promotion of their interests. "We shall help industries based on the coconut and its derivatives, and we shall continue working for the elimination of unjust burdens imposed in the United States upon these products,'' they declared. At the same time the Coalition announced its desire to remedy the situation by finding a sure and pro fitable market for coconut, "and if necessary with the financial assistance of the government." Pledges Aid to Coconut Growers President Quezon himself, as the candidate of the Coalition for the presidency, did not forget the pathetic plight of the coconut growers and in his 11cceptance speech he assured the people that he fwould work for the repeal of the excise tax on coco· nut oil. Mr. Qeuzon, was, of course, referring to the provision of the Tydings-McDuffie independence act when he made mention of the excise tax. This provision states that "there shall be levied, collected, and paid on all coconut oil corning into the United States from the Philippine Islands in any calendar vear in excess of two hundred thousand long tons, the same rates of duty which are required by the laws of the United States to be levied, collected, and paid upon like articles imported from foreign countries." (Sec. 6-b) Labors in the United States In the face of such a situation the President met squarely the planters to whom the excise tax on coconut oil has always been umpopular. To them he related his efforts to stop the enacrnent of the measure by the Congress of the United States. When the move to levy the tax on Philippine pro ducts exported to the United States was started by some legislators, President Quezon went to America and presented his arguments protesting the mea sure before President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. "I induced him to send a message to the Congress expressing the opposition of the Philippines," he revealed. "But, despite our joint opposition, thC; Congress approved the measure." President Roosevelt even went to the extent of informing the proper committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate that "the tax would work difficulties to four million Filipinos. But the American legislators saw that the price of copra went up soon after the excise tax was imposed, and it convinced Congress that the excise tax not only would not lower the price of copra but also would prove beneficial to the Filipinos." Planters Urge Abolition of Excise Tax As the coeonut producers have always enter tained the feeling that the excise tax on coconut oil is working difficulties on them, they once urged President Quezon to recommend its abolition. On -February 19, 1938, a big delegation of coconut planters came to the Malacaiian Palace and the President entertained them at a tea party. Later he answered their request and told them frankly his views on the matter. The coconut growers made also another reuest: that the proceeds be used to aid the industry. Said President Quezon on this occasion: The Stand of the President "I was against the imposition of this tax on coconut oil coming from the Philippines. I opposed it and the President of the United States in a spePage6 The COCONUT JOURNAL cial message to Congress and through conferences with leading members of Congress, also made known his opposition to the proposed tax. Congress, how ever did not listen to the appeals of the President and ' imposed the tax just the same. This, in my opinion, is an indication of the impossibility of securing the abolition of the tax because I do not know of any influence in Congress greater than the influence of the President of the United States; and I seriously doubt that Congress, after failing to follow his recommendation on this subject, will proceed to repeal the tax. "I am willing, nevertheless, to support you in your request that the tax be abolished. I have not changed my attitude in this respect although I con fess that I am not as positive today as I was before that the tax has done any harm to the industry, or that if it did, the harm was not as much as I had thought it to be. I say this because after the tax had been imposed the price of copra went up one time, which indicates that the price of copra is not necessarily affected by the excise tax, and it may therefore go up be there a tax or not. As <� matter of principle, however, and regardless of the effect that it may have on the price of copra, I am willing to cooperate with you and to support you in your petition that the excise tax on coconut oil be abolished, because I consider the tax not only contrary to, but also a violation of. the provisions of the Tydings-McDuffie Law. Application of Proceeds from excise tax "Regarding the other matter, I am not willin...:· to give my support to a petition that would permit the return of the tax collected from the coconut oil industry to the producers of copra. I am not willing to do that much less support a petition of the sugar producers that the excise tax be �oriven President Quezon addressing T ayabas coconut planters at the inauguration of the Quezon National Forest Park in Atimonan, Tayabas on August 23, 1939. ,\UGUST, 1941 only to themselves. The tax: is being spent for the welfare of the whole country, which is as it should be; a tax, after all, should not be collected only to be given back to the people who paid it, for if that were the case, then it would be better not to col lect the tax at all. But if what you want is to have the ban which prohibits our Government from using, directly or indirectly , any part of the coconut oil excise tax for the benefit of the copra industry lifted, then I have no objection to it. It really looks unfair that the people who pay the tax are the ones specifically deprived of the benefits that may be derived from the use of the money collected from that tax. I suppose that the purpose of Congress in inserting this provision is to prohibit us from 15ivin� the money to the producers of copra, or, specifically, to the manufacturers of coconut oil. I do not believe that the members of Congress will have any objection if we produce as much copra as we may want. Congress does not concern itself with the copra industry; its opposition is directed towards the coconut oil industry because there is a general belief in America, which I believe to be wrong, that our coconut oil is competing with cer 'tain articles produced by the farmers in the United States. I do not believe that coconut oil competes with butter, but certain American interests think so, hence they want to put a clamp on the coconut oil industry in the Philippines. As I have said, they make no objection towards copra. You can send copra to the United States free of duty, but the minute you convert copra into oil, you will find them against you. Now, by doing away with co t:onut oil , I do not know if there are many other uses upon which our copra industry may thrive. A II I know is, harm to the copra industry will re sult the minute they try to reduce the usefulness of the industry; so that ultimately it is the pro ducer of copra who suffers from this opposition to the coconut oil industry. That is the reason why I am with you in your desire to have the tax abolished, or to have a part of it used for the pro motion of the coconut industry in the Philippines. !-lU<:h as making resear<:hes leading to the discove1·y of new uses for the coconut that will revitalize our eopra industry. Coconut people not organized "There was a time when the Philippine coconut industry was more impo1·tant, incomparably so, than t.he sugar industry. !\'lore provinces and more peo ple depended on this industry than on the sugar in .dustry, <tnd yet you have not made yourselves per fectly org-anized to cope with situations that may he detrimental to the coconut industry. Consider the sugar people-they are well organized, and when they start an agitation you think the wholt world is going down. They have been organized for many years. "It is perfectly right for you people to be or ganized. You will be able to exert your influence. better not only here but also in the United States. You can present your grievances in the proper way, you can present them in public, and you will be immediately heard. What do you do in your res pective towns? You simply talk among yourselves and say "nalintikan na." Although we understand that expression here, no one in the United States will understand it, much less know what you want, if you always talk that way. And I believe I need not do anything for fellows who are willing to re main passive. "Gentlemen, \)et me tell you this: Organize yourselves, study your problems and acquaint the peoples of America and the Philippines with a few plain facts; firstly, that the coconut indus try, as one of the main industries in the Philip pines, affects more people than those of the sugar industry; secondly, that our coconut oil is not really competing with any industry in the United States in such a way as to harm it. I repeat, you have to educate the American people on that." Benefit derived from excise tax When President Quezon made an inspection trip to Mindanao in 1938, shortly after his 60th birthday anniversary, he visited Cagayan, capital of Oriental Misamis, among many other places he went. In. that southern port, the President was confronted by the coconut growers who took ad vantage of his presence by presenting him a peti tion for relief against coconut taxes. When the President spoke to the big crowd present, he made plain his attitude on the matter. Aside from that. he explained to the people the benefit derived from the excise tax on coconut oil. Pertinent portion of hsi speeC'h follows: "Of the oil excise tax which is levied and col lected in the United States, every cent is returned to the Government of the Commonwealth. From this tax we have been able to accumulate over one hundred million pesos which are now being spent to open roads, mainly in Mindanao, and to build schools. Part of that money will also be used to carry out a program of economic development which will permit the Philippines to face, without much harm to ourselves, the change that will come about when complete independence is granted and the free trade relations between America and the Phil ippines are fully terminated. In returning the oil excise tax to the Philippines, Congress provided that the Government of the Philippines shall not. directly or indirectly, help the <:oconut industry. Counsels Patience "I sympathize with the situation of the <:oconut industry; I know that this industry is in a very sad plight. My own people are suffering tremendously from it. My heart is with you. I wish I could do something for you . "The Joint Preparatory Committee on Philip pine Affairs has recommended to Congress to con - {Plea�c tnm to page 29) Page 7 A1;GUST, 19-H PRESIDENT QUEZON AND ... (Continued from page 7) tinue giving us the money of the oil excise tax but without the provision that the money may be used to help the coC4>nut industry or the coconut pro ducers. If we do something now that would mak"! Congress believe that we are not complying with its present injunction, Congress may not make the pro posed change. So I counsel you to be patient; wait for one year more, for I think Congress will listen to our request to use the money from the tax on coconut oil to help the coconut industry and that from the excise tax on sugar for the sugar indus try. We cannot violate the condition imposed by Congress because we have promised to comply with it." In his own province, Tayabas, President Que zon once found himself in the course of a week.: end visit, face to face with coconut planters at the provincial capital in Lucena. The people were in sistent to know why the excise tax on coconut oil i� not being abolished and like the good people of Oriental l\lisamis they blamed the tax for the poor prospects of the industry. So President Quezon had to do some explanation. The President elaborated on his reply in this self-explanatory and self-con vincing manner: Low Prices of Copra not due to excise tax "You must understand that if I have not done anything so far to improve the price of copra or to remove the excise tax, it is because two years ago the prices of copra rose up at the very time when the excise tax was already in force. Within the first year after Congress had pas�ed the tax on coconut oil the prices of our copra surpassed thoRe which h �d prevailed during the World War. You cannot deny, therefore, that the excise tax i� not to blame for the present low copra prices, for if Ruch were true those prices would have never ri�en anymot·e. "The price of any of out· export commodities tiepends upon the foreign market. Copra, as you all know, is sold in the United States, not here. Its price is set by the purchasing country and by other oil-selling competitors; it is not fixed by the Commonwealth Government. If our copra were only sold and consumed het·e we could then name our own prices. Since it is not sold here. can we then say to out· foreign buyers that this or that should be the price for our copra? Or can we tell them that we will not sell them our product if they can not meet our price demands? What shall we do if nobody pays the price we ask? "It would have been also possible for Congre�,-. without anybody being able to stop it. to decree that the excise tax collections should accrue to the Treasury of the United States. However, I made the request that collections from the tax be r:turn ed to the Philippines. Congress granted thts re quest, but it placed a proviso that upon return of the collections to us the money be not used to bene fit the coconut planters; and should that proviso be violated, the refund of the excise tax collections would be stopped immediately. If I had not agreed to it, even under such restriction, the tax money would have remained in the United States. The power to decide the matter rested with them, not with us. And if I did agree to the refund - as it is being refunded today __. even under a restrictive condition, is it not anyway for the welfare of the Philippines? The welfare of the Philippines, let me tell you, is also the welfare of Tayabas; hence, I believe I made no mistake in my decision regard ing the excise tax refund. Study posibilities of Coconut "What we Filipinos should do is study the dif ferent possibilities of the coconut. We may even learn to supplement our rice with coconut products. The coconut, after all, is more nutritious thari i.-ice. When I was a young boy, we ate coconuts whenever we did not have any rice. Let us again make the bukayo (coconut sweetmeat) because it is very deli cious. Also the matamis sa bao (coconut jelly). When I was a young student, I always asked money from my mother with which to buy matamis sa bao from the Chinese store near the school. The trouble with us Filipinos is that we forget what is truly our own. We have so many needs and used for our coconut. Why don't we rediscover them l:iO as to increase not only our export but also our local consumption of coconuts? The National Develop ment Company has several expert chemists study ing the different uses of the coconut; more im portant, however, is to have our coconuf plimters take full initiative on this matter. Advice to Coconu t Planters "One of our defects is that when a proprietor has two hundred, four hundred, or a· thousand co• conut trees, he no longer personally harvests his nuts ot· converts them into copra. Another man does the work for him; hence his income is lessened. In the United States the landowner farms his own land; here in our country many of our landowners, spend their time in the town Ol' in the cockpit. "If a planter with a thousand coconut trees works his own grove, he will make bigger profits from his copra Rales. That is the first secret of making a living: the more work we do the greater our profit. It is imperative, of course, that we work. If our land is small it is needless to hire a laborer because we can do it by ourself; if our land is big, however, then it is the time to call in hired help. We should strive to work, we should forget foolish pleasures and stop wasting .. time in town fiestas." The Fight for the excise tax m()ney At the joint convention of coconut a· nd abaca producers on February 22, 1939...-the President re counted how he fought to get the proceeds from Page 29 the coconut oil excise tax for the Philippines. He recounted thus: "The Government has done everything possible for the copra industry and for all the other in dustries as well. After the tax had been imposed, we were faced with this question: Should we take advantage of it or not? Had I been away from the United States at the time, it would have been . ex tremely difficult to get the money. . In the f1r�t place, American taxpayers compla� . ned about 1t. The case was taken to court and 1t reached the Supreme Court of the United States. 0? . my arrival in New York a delegation that was wa1tmg for me there propos �d a compromise; namely, inducing the Philippines to accept a percentage of the funds upon which they would withdraw the case. I told them that if we are entitled to receive the money, we would demand every centavo of it. Otherwise we would not ask for it at all. After the Supreme Court had decided the case, the United States Treasurer decided not to turn the collections over to the Philippine Government. Had I not been in Washington then, it would have been very hard fo1: our Government to get the money. As a matter or facts the money could not be disbursed while the case ' was pending, and after so many millions of pesos were collected the Federal Treasury resented turning the sums over to the Philippine Govern ment. The total amount which had accumulated was eighty million pesos. They proposed to keep the money there till Congress should meet, have a report submitted to said body, and later perhaps ask Congress to legislate- on the manner of spend ing the money. "I know that, with the influence in Congress of those who succeeded in securing the enactment of the tax, they realize only too well what they were up to. They tried to regulate the sums to be dis bursed out of the eighty million pesos - that is, to have it paid out little by little. We had not then come to the point of being able to make out a definite program regarding the use of that fund. l had to take the matter up with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the Treasury. It was only after I had signed a written promise to the effect that no portion of the money would be disbursed to aid the copra indus try that I was able to have the money turned over to �e. You see that not only the Philippine Gov ernment but I personally had to enter into a solemn ptomise under the law." In reply to the charge that the excise tax has reduced the price of copra, President Quezon de clared that it is the present oversupply of copra in the world markets that is responsible for the si tuation. The buyers have not increased in number and yet the sellers have increased their products. Non-edible Coconut oil exempted from tax ·upon the insistent request of coconut plant ers the President recommended to Washington Page 30 The COCONUT JOURNAL authorities the repeal of the coconut oil excise tax act, and fortunately enough his appeal was heard and the Senate Committee recommended the exemp tion from payment of the excise tax of coconut oil used for nonedible purposes. But even the Pre;; ident himself doubts the benefits to· be derived from this matter. As he told his hearers at the farewell banquet given in honor of Assemblyman Quintin Paredes at the l\Ialacaiian Palace recreation hall on May 22, 1939. "It must be borne in mind that the tax will not be eliminated completely. It will be eliminated only in those cases where coconut oil will be used for nonedible purposes. Now, can you be sure that they will pay one price for coconut oil that will be used for butter, and another price for that which will be used in the manufacture of soap? Will there not be just one price for all the copra that may be bought? Which will be that prices? Will it be the difference between the price of copra which pays tax and the price of copra without tax Or, will it be such difference, but bearing in mind the proportion between the copra utilized for nonedible purposes and the copra for air other purposes? That, however, involves a tremendous mathematical operation and I am afraid that, to save themselves from such bothe1·, the ma nufacturer will simply pocket the difference in prices. In other words, the benefit to be derived from the elimination of this tax, instead of aiding the producers of copra, will only go to the pocket of the purchaser in the United States. The benefit may go to the soap distributor in America and, in turn, to the consumer; but I am not sure that it will be of any good to the producers in the Philip pines." Amendment to Tydings-McDuffie Act Almost at the same time, in his desire to cor rect the objecti0'1able features in the Tydings-Mc Duffie act related to the trade relations between the United States and the Philippines, President Roosevelt created the Joint Preparatory Committee that made a study on the matter. As a result of the studies the committee recommended the amend ment of the Tydings-McDuffie law so that our ex ports, including copra and coconut oil, would be exempted from paying export taxes in the United States, reasoning that if this were not done, it would be impossible to sell these products in America at a profit and to compete with similar products in other markets; thus the coconut industry would face ruin, resulting in the impoverishment of the Filipinos depending upon it for their living. The amendments also make the proceeds from the coconut oil excise tax now available for econo mic readjustments even in the coconut-producing provinces. So the Congress passed a law amending the Tydings-McDuffie act on this matter which, after its approval by the Filipino people in the plebiscite of October 24, 1939, took effect. Under this act coconut oil enters the United States on an annual duty-free quota. .\U(JUST, 19-H Advantage of excise tax on coconut oil That the excise tax on coconut oil has proved advantageous to the Philippines can be shown ma thematically. Up to May 10, 1938, the fund had an unappropriated current surplus of P88,538,100, and this sum the President recommended to be spent to carry out his four-years' public works program. Not only that, but the proceedes have been used for other purposes. Under Commonwealth Act No. 369, P4,800,000 was appropriated for the purchase of bonds, while Commonwealth Act No. 403 author ized the sum of P10,000,000 to constitute a revolving fund to be invested in loans to provinces, munici palities, and cities for the construction of perma nent public markets, slaughterhouses, and water works. Legislation to Combat pests President Quezon, desirous of helping the co conut induRtry, urged the first National Assembly the immediate consideration of Bill No. 1913 ap propriating P100,000 to finance the campaign of controlling budrot and other coconut pests. Be cause he knew that the amount was necessary ih carrying on the drive against coconut pests he cer tified to the Assembly the importance and urgenc:.· of this bill in two separate messages - one on September 2:3 and the other on October 7, 1936 - since the legislative body was about to close its !less ions. Complying with the request of President Que zon the National Assembly also acted favorably on the money-measure to combat budrots. The bill became Commonwealth Act No. 110 on October 30, 1936. Act Providing for Copra Warehouses It is a fa ct that for some years now the price of copra has been very low and as a result it has di�couraged many planters who have either neglect ed and abandoned their plantations or have turned their attention to othet· more profitable industt·ies. When copra prices are low - and not en:•n enough to meet the expenses of manufacturing it - tht producers prefers to store their product until better prices come. In such cases the big volume of stock that is accumulated becomes a problem. Usuall:. · storage space is l acking. So to remedy the situation the National Assembly considered hill No. 734, which Pre11ident Quezon approved on October 14, 19:36, and subsequently became Commonwealth Act No. 50. The act directs the Secretary of Agricultut·e and Commerce, the Philippine National Bank, and the National Development Company to establish, operate, and maintain warehouses for copra, the same to be deposited at reason able 1·ate::> of fees. Undoubted ly, this act has proved beneficial to the thousand:;; of coconut planters in the Philippines. Coconut Mission Deeply concerned with the welfat·c of the co I'OIIUt industry and in his desire to ameliorate the condition of t.he planters, President Quezon sent a mes11age to the second National Assmbly on May 17, l!l:�9. urging the Assembly to consider the ne cessity of sending a member of that body on a mission to undertake a study and investigation abroad of the best means of promoting the coconut industry in the country. Heeding his request, the Assembly delegated the Honorable Maximo M. Kalaw to un dertake the task. Measures to help Planters In realizing the present economic situation of coconut planters which deserves the immediate at tention, the government has taken the necessary steps to alleviate their condition. It has created the National Economic Council and other agencies of the government in order to safeguard their intere::>ts. They are now "making a study to determine the degree by which prices for coconut products in the Philippines are being depressed because of specu l atory activities of dealers and brokers of this com modity in the open markets of the world." Other studies are under way, as the plan of establishing a single sales agency so as to eliminate objection able speculatory transactions, the question of ex cessiYe transportation rates, the possibility of im proving- the quality of the products, and the intro duction of greater efficiency in the production. Responsible for the new lease on life of the co conut industry is the National Coconut Corporation which was created by the National Assembly upon the initiative of President Quezon who has had the welfare and interest of the coconut planters at heart. The corporation aims to extend help, finan cially and morally, to the coconut growers, find new markets and revitalize the present ones, and dis cover new and more uses of the different by-pro ducts of coconut. President Admonishes Coconut Planters "There was a time when the Philippine coconut industry was more important, incom parably so, than the sugar industry. More pro vinces and more people depended on this in dustry than on the sugar industry, and yet you have not made yourselves perfectly organized to cope with situations that may be detrimental to the coconut industry. Consider the sugar people - they are well organized, and when they start an agitation you think the whole world is going down. They have been organized for many years. "It is perfectly right for you people to be organized. You will be able to exert your in fluence better not only here but also in tht: United States. You can present your griev ances in the proper way, you can present them in public, and you will be immediately heard ... "Organize yourselves, study your problems and acquaint the peoples of America and the Philippines with a few plain facts; firstly, that the coconut industry, as one of the main in dustries in the Philippines, affects more people than those of the sugar indu�try: secondly, that our coconut oil is not really competing with any industry in the United States in such a way as to harm it. I repeat, you ha,·e to educate the American people on that". Page 31 COCONUT I!UPOHTS INTO THE U. S.-1940 (In tons) 1 Ton=2,240 Ibs. Castor seeds . . . Copra . . . . . . . Flax seeds . . . Sesame seeds . . Poppy seeds . . Palm kernels . . Rape seeds . . . Other oil seeds . Total . . Set.-"ds, Nuts & Kernels 1938 1989 50,924 72,593 229,116 191,986 384,000 400,750 3,044 5,464 4,308 2,593 10,866 4,618 4,085 3,366 26,968 61,844 713,311 743,114 L'UPORTS INTO U.S. Oil Equivalent of Seeds, Nuts, Kernels, Tallow, Oils, Fats, Etc. ( In Tons)-1 Ton=2,240 lbs. 1938 1939 1940 Cbintse wood oil 47,973 ;)5,14;; 43,325 Perilla oil 14,205 22,893 5,065 Coconut oil 162,473 150,35i 165,4�3 Maize oil 9,929 6.0�:; 190 LinReed oil �3 22 5 Olive oil (edible) 31,736 2�.067 22,357 Olive oil (Inedible) 12,410 17,625 13,221 Palm Oil 121,12:; 127.866 100,463 Palm kernel oil 1,14i 1,000 Peanut oil 6,942 1,687 1,392 Rapeseed oil 2,645 4,133 :;,767 Soya bean oil 1,900 I ,843 2,165 Sunflower seed oil 36 85 Cotton oil 34,600 13. 1 47 5.371! Other Vt'getable oil 32,473 34. i72 24,909 Whale oil 9,843 9,033 9,936 Code & Cod liver oil 27,723 29,433 8,68H Oth<'r fish oil 230 433 320 Tallow 550 670 611 Beef & ·Hog fats & Wool grease 81)1) 1,860 1,281 Total 817,572 7�8.347 717,tr.4 SHII'MHNTS Oil Equivalent of Seeds, Nuts, Kl·rnels, Tallow, Oil, Fats, Etc. 1940 1938 1989 106,155 21,388 30,489 374,718 144,343 120,951 295,636 115,200 120,225 6,517 1,370 2,459 2,708 2,068 1,245 13,273 4,890 2,033 2,240 1,430 1,178 50,236 8,090 18,553 751,483 298,779 297,13:: FOREIGN COUNTRIES L\IPORTS Oil Equivalent of Seeds, Nuts, Kern el s, Tallow, Oils, Fats, Ete. (In Tons)-1 Ton=%,240 lbs. 1937 1938 1939 United Kingdom 932,736 1.046,018 I.113.n6 u. S. A . 817,572 H8,347 France 610,631 556,928 Holland 390.264 395.7i!S Germany. 991;,343 1,061,562 606,751 Italy 2l8,894 163,795 93,176 Belgium 126.027 141,073 141.44!:! Denmark 155,659 135,549 Sweden 90.734 112.467 Japan 164,739 165,771; 154.S54 not 1940 44,585 173,072 88,691 2,933 1,300 5,973 784 15,071 332,409 1940 747,154 94 ,018 79,071 av.Lih•blc 15,928 81!,094 Note: Compiled from Fats and Oils Rniew-U. S. Domutic: Commerc:e 1939 r Hank Fthr & Com)mny Review o( the oil•eed. oil, oil cake i HoiJHnd Hou•e. Bury Street. markets for 194IJ London. E. C. 3 0 I<' B)· RICARDO B. BONILLA National Coconut CQTporationiJ CO PitA (In Tons) 1 Ton=2,240 lbs. Sangir Pad dang Other Dutch Menado & East Indies Straits Malabar Year Manila Java Macassar Gorontalo Ports Settlements Ceylon Coast Total 1930 166,780 7,364 76,843 134,832 156,335 181,319 89,410 None 812,88:J 1931 178,043 3,848 72,982 125,685 157,202 176,460 88,800 843,920 1932 133,867 62,620 72,605 142,014 202,295 183,900 46,625 843,926 1933 302,492 14,490 151,072 124,188 196,420 192,600 64,500 1,045,762 1934 346,156 3 ,747 147,801 111,788 153,401 167,242 105,681 1.035,816 1935 252,883 3,708 185,433 104,75:� 189,562 180,761 48,661 965,761 1936 259,892 4,251 184,789 118,203 199,963 157,319 51,813 976,230 1937 232,511 1,201 185,703 10 0,799 200,541 165,030 67,650 959,435 342,631 3,244 228,434 104,834 216,855 166,177 75,265 1,137,440 1939 395,460 200 212,756 113,972 201,578 157,429 52,920 1,134,315 1940 327,168 3,139 93,606 48,610 120,916 93,142 78,284 764,865 Page 32 STAT ISTICS WORLD PRODUCTION OF COCONUT OIL In Tons 1 Ton = 2,240 lbs. Production 1940 India . Strait Settlements 70,027 Ceylon 29,825 Java . 14,140 Philippines 175,723 U. S. A . . 173,072 Great Bri tain France 19, 7 6 9 Germany Holland 21, 450 Denmark 6 , 17 8 Italy . Sweden LARD U. S. A. 752,6 7 8 1\lARGARINE U. S. A. 142,970 Great Britain Holland Germany Denmark Norway . }'ranee Sweden . Ceylon Straits Settleruen t Phili ppines South Sea Islands D. E. I. East Africa U. S. A. Holland Den mark Sweden Norway Germany COPRA 78,284 93,142 327 ,168 7 5 ,000 26 6 ,27 1 35 ,000 Bt:TTER 807 , 14 3 1939 9 ,282 6 1,897 62,562 8,965 164,482 120,951 95,36 9 88,389 94,360 47,565 4 7 , 137 9 ,534 16 ,950 631,24 1 134,285 2 15,000 75,000 375,000 80,000 57,000 35,000 55,000 52, 920 15 7 ,429 395,46 0 120,000 528,506 53,000 784 ,553 135,000 185,000 78,000 31 ,000 4 0 0 , 0 00 1938 13, 161 49 ,49 9 75,834 19 ,851 161.938 144,343 71,803 88,578 172,098 33, 476 47 ,443 18,481 25,175 518,900 171,260 210,236 70,866 390, 748 79 ,921 54,232 32,538 58,800 75,265 166, 177 342,631 1 50,000 553,367 60,000 798,335 130,000 1 90,000 80,000 32,000 425,000 TOT.\J, DlPOHTS 01<' COPR.-\ INTO THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES United Kingdom Hol land Ita ly France Denmark ll. S. A . . G e rm an y 1937 7 9 ,391:! 46 ,379 23, 8 7 4 1 3 5, 4 3 7 7 4 ,292 24 0 , 0 6 7 2 0 6 ,24 0 1938 113,94 1 53. 137 29,3:!6 14 0 . 600 7 5 , 307 2 29, 1 1 6 273, 1 7 3 1939 151,380 75,51 3 15, 13 4 ( Jun/J uly) 140,300 74 ,821 19 1 ,986 1 49,778 �IONTHLY SHI PM ENTS 01<� VOPRA FHO�I TH.I!: Jan u a ry . February March April . May June . July . August Sep tem ber October . November December PHI J,IPPINE ISLANDS ( In Ton� ) 1 Ton=2,240 lbs. 1938 1939 16 ,37 5 22,358 2 8 ,937 21 ,790 22 ,204 45,053 23,4 7 2 3 8 ,206 19,972 3 1 , 737 31,319 32,183 28,6 4 4 37 ,655 40, 192 49 ,866 31, 828 26 , 618 44,998 28 ,094 21,842 32,86 7 32,848 29 ,033 342,631 395,460 1940 37,463 28,607 49 ,635 23,642 29 ,351 17 , 170 17 ,56 5 13,054 18,611 40, 118 40,29 4 11,658 327,168 Copra . . . . . • Cottonseed . . Palm kernels • Ground nuts • Linseed • • • • Rapeseed . . • Soya beans . . . Sesanum . . . . . Olives . . . . Hempseed . . . Sunflower . . . Castor seed . Other seeds unclassified . FORECAST OF 194 1 Metric Ton = 2,240 lbs. 1 .050,000 1 1 ,1 70,000 701 ,000 5.423,600 3 ,977,700 1 , 300,000 6 ,908,500 465,000 3 , 200,000 610.000 2 , 1 50,000 371 .000 335,000 617,400 1 ,729,000 3 1 1 ,800 1 ,395,700 1 , 006, 500 291 , 200 754,400 i68 ,800 750,000 16,000 471 ,600 140,700 60,000 305,000 Groundnut Oil 305,000 Coconut Oil 585,000 Palm Oil 50,000 Maize Oil 40,000 Wood Oil 753,000 Lard 398,000 Tallow 350,000 Whale 2 Total . . . • . 37,661 ,800 7,713,600 2,521 ,000 = ----1 0 , 234,600 TOTAL IMPORTS OF COPRA INTO THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES 1 937 1938 Un ited Kingdom 79,398 1 1 3 ,94 1 Holland 46,379 53, 1 37 Italy 23,874 29,336 France 1 35,437 1 40,600 Denmark 7 4 ,292 75,307 u. S. A . 240,067 229 , 1 1 6 Germany 206,240 273,173 MAIN WORLD CORPS-194 1 OIL SEEDS ( In Tons) I Ton = 2,240 lbs. A rgentine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India . . . . . . . . . . . . . U. S. A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CanadH . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ituly . . . . . . . Greece . . . . . . . Philippi nes . . . . Other countries . . . Oth<>r S. A . countries . British West Africa . . . French West Africa . . . . . . . . Oth<>r West African possessions . . . Egypt . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . Ceylon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eu.at African Po:;:;. . . . . . . . . . Straits Settlements . . . . . . . . Javn and D. E. I. . . . . . . . . South Sen Islands . . . . . . . . . China & Manchukuo . . . . . . . . Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Asiutic countrie� . . . . . . . Russin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . 1939 1 51 ,380 7 5 , 5 1 3 15,134 (Jan/July) 140.300 74,821 1 9 1 ,986 149,778 1 .905,000 tons 8.070,000 .. 8,676.100 79,700 980,000 1 . 7 50.000 800,000 300,000 250,000 1 ,025,000 285.000 670,000 695,000 1 1 5,000 720,000 60,000 260.000 1 6 1 ,000 750,000 1 00.000 3,980,000 510,000 7 1 6 ,000 4 , 890,000 Total . • . • . . . . . . . . . • . 37,661 .000 Amount of thnt part of th<· cro1• which would normally be cru•hed -200 ,00. MAIN WORLD CROPS-1941 OILS AND F AT S ( In Tons) 1 Ton = 2 ,240 lbs. A rgenti ne . . . • . . • . . . . . India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • China & Munchukuo . . . . . . . . . U. S. A . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil & Uru!tUUY • . . . . . . . • Australia . • . • . . . . . . . . Japan • . . . • . . . . . . . . Ceylon . . . . . • . . . . . . • Malnyu . . . . . . . . . . . . . PhiliPJ•ines . . . . . . . . . . Java & D. E. I. . . . . . • . . . Spain • • . • . . . . . . • • • Egypt • . . . . . . . . . . . Other countri�s . . . . . . . . . . . Itnly • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . British W<>st Africa • . . . . . . . . French W�st Africa . • . . . . . . . Other We&t African Poss. Territories Russia • . . • • . . • • . • . . Arctic & Antut1.ic . . . Total . . . • • • 40,000 tons 24,000 .. 146,000 1 ,800,000 5,000 50,000 51 ,000 30,000 1 40,000 170.000 250,000 300,000 !l5.00(1 60,000 200,000 1 70,000 40,000 85,000 500,000 350,000 2,521 , 000 Page 38
Date: 1941
Rights