Dried coconut: political economy of the copra industry in Baleno, Masbate

Abstract

The Philippine economy greatly depends on its agriculture, being an agrarian country. Apart from corn, rice and sugarcane, one of the major sectors of Philippine agriculture is the coconut. The coconut industry provides great contribution in the Philippine economy and is one of the main agricultural export products of the country. The industry also provides livelihood to almost a third of Filipinos. However, that one-third of Filipinos working in the coconut industry are the poorest among the agriculture sector. Copra, where coconut oil is extracted, is one of the major products of the coconut industry. In Baleno, Masbate, copra making is the main livelihood of the people. The copra farmers in the municipality are part of the third of the Filipinos who remains in dire condition because of poverty. This study aims to know the condition and the problems faced by the copra farmers in Baleno, Masbate. It also analyses the current state of the copra industry in the municipality and measures the extent of support given by the government, both local and national, in the industry. Ultimately, this study seeks for the root cause of why the copra farmers remain poor and to provide recommendations to address their problems.