AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
By William M. Esposo
The Philippine Star
Finally, we’re using our coconuts. Long bruited about as the tree of life, lack of imagination and marketing skills have prevented us from making full use of our coconuts. As the old expression goes: “We’ve not been using our coconuts (brains).” Well, a recent market development could change all that and we could be cashing in on our coconuts very soon.
More than the praises for good governance from US President Barack Obama and the World Bank, the best piece of good news that President Noynoy Aquino (P-Noy) brought home from the US is that the growing market for coconut water, or more popularly called coco water, has tapped our own produce. Coco water is not to be con fused with coconut milk. Coco water is the natural juice of the coconut while coconut milk is a derivative from the meat of the coconut. Coconut oil, which has previously set a global market trend as a health-enhancing tonic, is also different from coco water.
The firms Pepsi Co. and Vita Coco have expressed their intent to tap Philippine coco water. Vita Coco is set to invest US$15 million in the next four years on Philippine coco water. This could be the start of something big for our long depressed coconut farmers. The coconut industry has been suffering from a long slump and many coconut farmers, at one time, even went into the desperate measure of chopping their coconut trees and transformed it into coco lumber, a cheaper alternative to wood from vanishing forests.
Gatorade has been the replenishment beverage of the past three decades, promoted no doubt by big name athletes. Seen being guzzled by the world’s top athletes during game time outs, people soon started drinking it too — even those who are not into sports and have no need for fluid replenishment. Coco water is being perceived as even more beneficial than Gatorade. For one, coco water is natural and this jibes with the current global preference for things that are natural.
This growing preference for a natural drink allows coco water to eat into the big soft drink market. Thus, it’s not surprising that Pepsi Co has plunged into coco water. This is their way of expanding their market and providing a substitute for those shifting from Pepsi Cola.
Just what exactly are the nutrient values that are found in coco water? The USDA listed the nutrient values of coco water, as follows:
|
Principle
|
Nutrient Value
|
Percentage of RDA
|
|
Energy
|
19 Kcal
|
1%
|
|
Carbohydrates
|
3.71 g
|
3%
|
|
Protein
|
0.72 g
|
1.5%
|
|
Total Fat
|
0.20 g
|
1%
|
|
Cholesterol
|
0 mg
|
0%
|
|
Dietary Fiber
|
1.1 g
|
3%
|
|
Vitamins
|
|
|
|
Folates
|
3 mcg
|
0.75%
|
|
Niacin
|
0.080 mg
|
0.5%
|
|
Pantothenic acid
|
0.043 mg
|
<1%
|
|
Pyridoxine
|
0.032 mg
|
2.5%
|
|
Riboflavin
|
0.057 mg
|
4%
|
|
Thiamin
|
0.030 mg
|
2.5%
|
|
Vitamin C
|
2.4 mg
|
4%
|
|
Vitamin A
|
0 IU
|
0%
|
|
Vitamin E
|
0 mg
|
0%
|
|
Vitamin K
|
0 mcg
|
0%
|
|
Electrolytes
|
|
|
|
Sodium
|
105 mg
|
7%
|
|
Potassium
|
250 mg
|
5%
|
|
Minerals
|
|
|
|
Calcium
|
24 mg
|
2.4%
|
|
Copper
|
40 mcg
|
4.5%
|
|
Iron
|
0.29 mg
|
3.5%
|
|
Magnesium
|
25 mg
|
6%
|
|
Manganese
|
0.142 mg
|
%
|
|
Zinc
|
0.10 mg
|
1%
|
|
Phyto-nutrients
|
|
|
|
Auxin (Gibberlin)
|
Present
|
–
|
|
Carotene, beta
|
0 mcg
|
–
|
|
Cytokines
|
Present
|
–
|
|
Lutein-zeaxanthin
|
0 mcg
|
–
|
|
Leucoanthocyanin
|
Present
|
–
|
India is said to produce 13 billion coconuts annually and claims to have a 3,000-year-old tradition with coconut cultivation. Indian coco water producers claim that the drink provides the following health benefits:
• Low in Carbohydrates
• Low in Fat 99% Fat Free
• Low in natural occurring sugar
• Keeps the body cool and at the proper temperature.
• Effective in the treatment of kidney and urethral stones.
• Natural drink for feeding infants suffering from intestinal disturbances.
• Excellent oral re-hydration medium, an all natural isotonic for all ages.
• Presence of saline and albumen makes it an excellent drink in cholera cases.
• Maintains the human body’s natural fluid levels.
• Aids in the quick absorption of drugs and makes their peak concentration into the blood stream easier because of its electrolytic effect.
• Found as a blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, does not produce heat, and does not destroy red blood cells and is readily accepted by the body.
• Kills intestinal worms.
• Excellent all natural water to drink while Relaxing, Meditating, Driving, Eating, Running, Aerobics, Working, Skiing, Mountain Biking, Exercising, Body Building, Surfing, Fishing, Snow Boarding, Working Out, Surfing, Physical Activities, or Exertion of any kind.
• Aid the body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Helps control diabetes
• Promotes bowel movements
• Promotes healthy thyroid function
• Helps eliminate pinworms
• Used in cancer therapy
• Helps kill the parasite Giardia Lamblia
• Improves digestion
• Provides quick energy
• Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body
• Helps in gallbladder disease
• Helps eliminate Candida yeast infections
• Inhibits the growth of mycoplasma
• Helps eradicate eczema
• Helps keep skin soft and smooth
Now, we have no way to ascertain if all these claimed health benefits from coco water are true. These could have been from anecdotal sources, not yet scientifically established, or simply the usual exaggeration of product benefits those manufacturers and marketing minds are occasionally prone to make just to clinch the lucrative deal. However, if only a third of all these health benefits are true and verifiable — then the future of coco water must be really bright.
Another coco water supplier from India even went as far as claim that the drink improves sexual performance. Now that there is an altogether different market — other than being a healthy beverage — that can be tapped. Move over Viagra and Cialis.
Filipino entrepreneurs should pick up the cue and consider plunging into this developing market for coco water. Why should we be reliant on multinationals to package and market these for us Filipinos? We should not just be raw material suppliers but manufacturers as well. We have the production capability and marketing skills to promote value added products from Philippine produce.
A most exciting feature of this coco water developing market is that it will bring economic activity and prosperity to the countryside.
Chair Wrecker e-mail and website: macesposo@yahoo.com and www.chairwrecker.com
at long last…hallelujia! coco cool!
Finally, I may have my taste of Coco Cola
COCO KJ
This may sound being Kill Joy or even unpatriotic, but this is a patriotic heads up from the viewpoint of of economics, indeed the dismal science. One must consider the alternative economics of coconut water which can put a monkey wrench on the possibility of coco water drink.
Coco water comes from young coconut, because if you wait for the nut to grow older, the water turns sour and acidic. However in this country, we wait for the coconut to mature in the tree, because we want it to grow more meat, because we want to use the meat for copra to be processed into high value coconut oil, copra meal, and then refined into all kinds of higher value coco chemicals from fatty acids, ethyl alcohol, glycerin, shampoo, and exotic pharmaceuticals like anti-aging etc.
The first question then is what do we do with our coconut – take them young and use the coco water or grow them old so you can produce the coco oil and all its other products? The answer depends on whether the coco water producer can pay afford to pay more for the coconut, than the coconut oil mill who produces coconut oil and further on coco chemicals all of whom may bid higher compared to coco water drink producer, for the use of the raw material –ie., coconut. In any case – Either Coco water or coconut oil loses out. It is not as if it’s a win win situation, since going for Coco water, (ie. Harvesting young nuts) will mean foregoing the lucrative coco oil-copra meal – olechemicals path.
The second question is can the coco water outbid the stranglehold of the invisible cartel of copra traders in the countryside on coconut farmers, which can deny any “outsider” buyer of coconuts. Coconut is pre-empted at the tree by the coco trader months before harvest, because the coconut farmer generally have pre-sold their harvests to the coco-traders, with whom they have layers of debt, thanks to a country who has virtually no formal source of agricultural production credit. Can the coco water producer breakthrough the trader barrier that controls the coconut supply chain? ADB has a classic case of a coconut oleochem plant in Camarines Norte, Prime Chem – that died because of lack of coconut supply, in the middle of coconut country – because the plant could not secure enough coconut supply, that was being controlled by traders supplying all the other pre-existing coco oil mills.
What fate awaits the coco water. I suggest we look into the alternative economics of coconut and the notorious coconut trader cartel which has beaten even the martial law backed CIIF monopoly — before we jump into the water (coco).
Arthur Alvendia
Where are all the coconut trees that will bear the water? What are we going to do with the unwanted meat? By using only the water, will the operation be economical at all? Is Pinoy simply daydreaming big money in coco water?
Well, he had to bring some kind of good news after meeting with the world big wigs. The thing is, we are not the only country that grow coconuts so there will be competetion. The possibility of this business venture will probably hang in the air for a long time. It’s possible that some people in the government are already making plans on how to make money on this idea, so don’t be surprise if anothef corruption charges turn up later. Is’nt Thailand already marketing this product?
SUPPLIER TO FOREIGN INVESTOR OR EXPORTER OF FINISHED COCO WATER DRINK?
Either we supply the coco water to foreign investor VITA COCO or support the local manufacturers to export the product as finished coco juice like VITA COCO drink.
I know of small PHL entrepreneurs already exporting the COCO drink like VITA COCO. Why not support them in the production and expand the local and foreign markets?
PNoy seems to be overwhelmed by the offer of foreign investor, but the PHL will just be a supplier of coco water to be made into VITA COCO where PEPSI has investment.
Brazil is already supplying the coco water made into VITA COCO. Our economic analysts (if they are that superb) should know if PHL is better off as a supplier only.
PNOY is a politician and not a businessman. He needs the advice of experts in Department of Agriculture, Philippine Coconut Industry, NEDA and Philippine Manufacturer and Exporters association.
The one who keeps alive the PHL economy was the OFWs when it comes to foreign exchange earnings.
The PHL needs to earn more foreign exchange from TOURISM as well as in EXPORTS.
P-NOY administration should not only be expert in filing graft and corruption cases but they should excel also in putting the PHL as known tourists destination and global product and service exporters.
if supplying coconut water pays more than supplying copra i’m sure we are the first coconut grower to jump in….7~10 pieces of coconut produce a kilo of copra which only get 20 pesos or 30 pesos while selling young coconut in local market gets 30 or more….see how far is the difference? that’s why we sell some of our young coconut too, if we can just sell all the young coconut in the local market we do it already but its not possible,,,this i a good news actually to us and this is not a threat to our oil millers because even before coconut is under the shadow of palm oil…….
I agree with COCO KJ and Tagabukid.