Copra and coconut products review

Title

Creator

Gonzalez, E. L.

Language

English

Year

1941

Subject

Copra—Philippines

Coconut products—Philippines

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Despite the heaviest copra arrivals on record which totalled 839,794 bags, Resecada averaged P9.91 in September which was 18.25% better than that of the previous month and also higher than any September of previous years except that of 1936. Receipts of copra in Manila for the first nine months of the current year exceeded those of last year for the same period by about 900,000 bags and were much greater than the totals for any year except those of 1938 and 1940. At the rate copra is being moved to Manila, the trade expects to find that copra receipts for 1941 would reach the highest mark in the entire history of the industry.

Fulltext

The Coconut Journal Published monthly by the NATIONAL COCONUT CORPORATION Benjamin Salvosa, Editor Pedro M. Gimenez, Business Manager Godofredo Zandueta, Associate Editor VOL. I Manila, Philippines No. 10 CONTENTS ENGLISH SECTION Copra and Coconut Products Monthly Review By E. L. Gonzalez 2 Coir Spinning and The Production of Sandbags 3 By Eugenio E. Cruz and Felipe Cortez The Spinning Wheel: Symbol of Personal Freedom 5 By Dr. Com·ado Benitez If I Were a Coconut Planter 7 By Francisco D. Marquez Nacoco Plays Host To Writers By N. V. M. Gonzalez Flour Substitute From Coconut .. By P. E. Ton·es, Rosita Jiao and Teodora Gilbuena 9 .......... II Pictorial Glimpses 12 The Coconut in Emergency Times 14 Nacoco Copra Dryer Campaign Progressing . . . . . . . 16 By A. C. Montes SPANISH SECTION La Corporaci6n Nacional De Coco Y Su Papel En La Economia . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Por Pedro Aunario Address articles and communications to the Editor, Coconut Journal, P. 0. Box 290, Manila. Subscription rates, P2.00 a year. $2.00 in U. S. $3.00 Foreign. P.20 the copy. October, 1941 Manila PAGE 2 THE COCONUT JOURNAL COPRA AND COCONUT PRODUCTS REVIEW By E. L. GONZALEZ Bureau of Commerce COPRA. -Despite the heaviest copra arrivals on record which totalled 839,794 bags, Resecada averaged P9 .91 in September which was 18.25% bet ter than that of the previous month and also higher than any September of previous years except that of 1936. Receipts of copra in Manila for the first nine months of the current year exceeded those of last year for the same period by about 900,000 bags and were much greater than the totals for any year except those of 1938 and 1940. At the rate copra is being moved to Manila, the trade expects to find that copra receipts for 1941 would reach the highest mark in the entire history of the industry. The local market started at P9.00 with the OPACS ruling on fats and oils injecting a note of caution among local mills and buyers. But on the strength of cottonseed oil and lard futures in Ame rica which indicated higher price levels for copra and coconut oil, local mills advanced gradually their bids to P10.25 in the first half of September, ,with sec ond hand operators generally bidding at 25-50 cen tavos higher than the current quotations. Subse quently, important buyers held aloof due to insuf ficient warehouse space to cope with increased ar rivals with the result that Resecada dropped no minally to P10 .00 until the 23rd. Developments at the end of the month hinted at a more encouraging aspect for Resecada as the market closed firm at P10.50 with a strong possibility of doing business at slightly better prices for good parcels. On purely local factors, prices of Resecada in September were rather slow in catching up with the improved tone of the American market. On the Pacific Coast, sales were made at 4 .10-4.15 cents, sellers' space, but bit.!<> closed at 3.90 cents, sellers' space. Manila, buyers, per 100 kilos, delivered: Opening and Low Closing and High Resecada . . . . . . . . . P9.00 Pl0.50 AVERAGE PRICES FOR SEPTEMBER, RESECADA PER 100 KILOS 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 P9.91 2.85 6.73 5 .75 8.28 12.52 7.32 4.81 ARRIVALS OF COPRA IN MANILA This month . ... . . . .. ... . . . . 839,794 bags Previous month . . . . . . . . . . . . 588,901 September, 1940 . . . . . . . . . . . . 482,097 " COCONUT OIL.-Business was slow in the United States but the market remained steady. Sales were recorded on the Pacific Coast at 6 -1/2 cents, f. o. b. tank cars. New York was quoted at 7-5/8 cents for spot and 7-3/8 cents for deferred shipments. Local offerings closed at 22 centavo�:� per kilo, delivered in drums, or an improvement of (Please turn to page 6) I regard the spinning wheel which has been associated with man from time immemo rial, as a symbol of his personal freedom. With the advent of the machine age, man lost his freedom because he could no longer produce what he needed without securing the aid of a machine owned by others. let me not be misunderstood. I am not advocating a return to the primitive, nor am I antagonistic to the use of the machine. On the contrary, I am search ing for a more efficient machine from anywhere in this country or abroad, a machine that will defiber the coconut husk in a more efficient manner. Thus the tempo of our campaign for the distribution of spinning wheels and the establishment of a home in dustry based on the utilization of the husk must nec essarily be determined by our success in securing de fibering machines which are modern and efficient. This is a challenge to the mechanical proficiency of our people, a challenge which I have no doubt will soon be successfully met. By enabling therefore every willing person to produce something that has a market value out of the coconut husk, the spinning wheel of this Corpo ration has become a potent factor for the industrial ization of the coconut as well as an effective instru mentality for the carrying out of President Quezon's policy of distributive justice. And right now, we have an understanding with the National Social SecLearning the art of the spinning-wheel from a Nacoco instructor. PAGE 6 THE COCONUT JOURNAL urity Administration that no man who is willing to work need be unemployed for he can be employed by means of the spinning wheel. It is possible to give every man something to do. Hence, there is no room for pauperism, if and when the great message of the spinning wheel is properly heard and acted upon by our people. This is what we are doing with the husk and its industrialization is only a sample of what has been done by this Corporation in utilizing the other by products of the coconut. vVe are pushing the mak ing pf charcoal also by building the kiln for the planter and buying his products. We are improv ing the quality of the Philippine copra by construct ing the copra driers for the planters on the easiest possible terms. And incidentally, we have disco vered the great American market for one of the mi nor products of this Corporation. I refer to the buri braids which can now be exported to the United States in unlimited quantities. I have recently made a trip to the Visayas and Mindanao, calling on provincial governors and offi cials, and I offered to them the services that this Corporation is ready to render to the people. After the establishment of a few provincial coconut centrals, we have discovered that rather than rush the con struction of new ones, it is more advisable to share with the planters the already known benefits of in dustrialization revealed in our present centrals. We are, therefore, .going directly to the planters and of fering them this great boon. I earnestly hope they will respond to our call. COPRA AND COCONUT. (Continued from page 2) 2 centavos during the month. The closing quotation in September almost trebled the price last year for the s�me period, which was P0.08. Manila, sellers, per kilo, delivered in drums: Opening P0.20 Low P0.20 High P0.22 Closing P0.22 COPRA MEAL.-The American market was no minal throughout at $35.00 per ton, Pacific Coast in the absence of shipping space. Local offers were stationary at P18.00 per ton, ex-warehouse. DESICCATED COCONUT.-The price list in New York was revised to 8llz cents, up ljz cent. The . trade, however, was reported as taking orders at 1/2 cent lower for fine and medium cuts. Demand was considered fair, but the seasonal pick-up was expected. Another steamship line cancelled its di versions which was interpreted by the trade as an influence for higher prices.

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