Philippines Eyes Record Coconut Exports Despite El Niño Threat

MANILA, Philippines — Total coconut exports this year are expected to surpass the record high of $3.57 billion set in 2025, despite concerns about production being weighed down by the incoming El Niño weather event, an official of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said. PCA head executive assistant Joseph Cezar Deligero said total coconut exports this year could be higher than the record export numbers logged in 2025. “We are positive that we’ll still be able to surpass our 2025 exports, although the coming El Niño might have an effect on our productivity, thus impacting also our exports,” Deligero told reporters. Total exports of coconut-based products increased by 34 percent in 2025 to an all-time high of $3.57 billion from $2.66 billion in 2025, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Deligero noted that coconut production declined by about 20 percent during the last El Niño occurrence in 2024. He added that the PCA has also been distributing planting materials across coconut production areas to respond to the incoming drought. “We’re working with a lot of cooperatives and 15 implementing agencies of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan to help us mitigate problems and concerns of the industry,” he said. The agency has also relied on solar drip irrigation to alleviate the potential lack of rainfall during El Niño. Aside from the drier weather in the incoming months, Deligero stressed that the hotter temperatures could trigger pest infestations, like the Coconut Scale Insect or cocolisap, which could affect overall production. “With the threat of the super El Niño, we’re anticipating that our pest infestation will increase,” he added. He said the PCA has also been conducting integrated pest management initiatives to respond to the potential outbreak in coconut plantations.