This was disclosed by Mr. Dioscoro A. Duran, provincial coconut development manager during an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), saying that 50,000 coffee seedlings have been allocated for each town to be planted in 100 hectares.
“The target date of delivery was in January, but because of the inclement weather, only the initial delivery of 30,000 seedlings has been made - 15,000 for Vincenzo Sagun, 5,000 for Dumalinao and 10,000 for Lakewood,” Duran said. However, arrangements have already been made to speed up the delivery, Sagun added.
The coffee seedlings which come from Davao is valued at over P1 million and will be delivered to the following areas of the province: District I – East Kahayagan, Aurora and Bag-ong Argao, Molave, District II - Cogon, V Sagun; Kinacap, Dinas; Sebucao, Dumalinao; Poblacion, Lakewood and Katipunan, Guipos.
In a matter of two years, coffee will be fruit-bearing and Nestle Philippines assures market for its harvest.
Meanwhile, PCA Senior Agriculturist Dionedes P. Dagatan has good news for the coconut industry in the province. “The first application consisting of 8,540 bags of salt from Australia will be arriving by the second or third week of February. This is intended to fertilize fruit-bearing coconut trees in Zamboanga del Sur’s District I and II covering 2,135 hectares. The second application will comprise 11,000 bags,” Dagatan revealed.
This will be a big boost to the coconut industry as fertilizing coconut trees with common salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) increases its productivity and improves resistance to pest and diseases. (PIA9)