A CANDIDATE’S DIARY, DAY 8: HOPE SHINES FOR COCONUT, RUBBER FARMERS

Even in the thick of the campaign, I find time to address some of the problems now confronting the people of North Cotabato, the most pressing of which are the plummeting prices of farm products especially copra and rubber.

The price of rubber cuplumps, the main source of income for farmers in almost half of the province of North Cotabato including Banisilan, has dropped from a record P103 per kilo back when I was still Governor to only P42 today, or a difference of P61 per kilo.

Copra price, on the other hand, sank to only P12 now from a high of P58 per kilo a few years ago.

Of course, it would be preposterous to claim that the very high prices for these commodities back in the days when I was still Governor was because of me.

Prices of these products are influenced by the world demand and more often than not the world demand depends on the economic and even political conditions of the countries buying them.

For example, the European economic crisis has affected the prices of rubber while the country’s diplomatic row with China over the Spratlys resulted in the huge losses to cavendish banana exporters to that country.

But while I do not blame the current leadership in the province for the woes of the rubber and coconut farmers now, I take them to task for not exerting any effort to address the problem.

It is incumbent upon the political leadership to find ways to help the farmers who have been losing their motorcycles and household appliances which they acquired by credit because of the plummeting prices of their products.

But hope springs eternal when one believes in the goodness of God.

Last week, I was introduced to an Iranian businessman representing a group of companies in Iran which has requirements for food grade palm oil, food grade coconut oil and rubber.

Iran has always been a lucrative market for Philippine bananas and other agricultural products but the trade embargo imposed by the US on this country has affected its corporate sector’s capability to transact business with other nations.

Amir Shahamat representing the HBT Corporation of Iran is currently buying cavendish bananas from Mindanao but the other companies he represents are looking for suppliers of food grade coconut and palm oil, and semi-processed rubber products.

The demand is staggering.

For palm oil alone, Amir Shahamat’s requirement is 20,000 tons monthly while the requirement for coconut oil is unlimited.

Iran Tire, a huge tire-making company, also requires a huge volume of semi-processed rubber.

CK Chang, a Malaysian businessman who is based in Mindanao said the requirement for palm oil could not be served by the existing production areas.

Last April 6, in a meeting with Amir Shahamat and his lawyers, we agreed on the following:

1. HBT Corporation will sponsor next week a gathering of stakeholders in the coconut, rubber and palm oil industries in the province to map out what could be done on the short term to fill up the requirement of Iran and to draft a long-term supply arrangement which would ensure that the produce of the rubber, oil palm and coconut farmers from North Cotabato, and even from nearby areas, would have a ready market in Iran;

2. HBT Corporation will arrange after the elections a trade mission for coconut, palm oil and rubber industry leaders from North Cotabato to Iran to sign supply agreements with various Iranian corporations;

This agreement fits to a tee what I have always wanted to happen to agriculture in North Cotabato: a market oriented agriculture which will produce commodities which are actually in demand and needed in the market backed up by a marketing agreement.

With God’s grace, if I am allowed to serve as Governor of North Cotabato again, here are the moves that I will do:

1. Immediately organize the coconut farmers of North Cotabato and the nearby areas and facilitate the establishment of a processing facility to produce food grade coconut   l for the requirement of Iran. This will certainly ensure farmers a better price since they will have direct access to an export market;

2. On the long term, intensify the development of oil palm farms in North Cotabato to cover about 50,000 hectares to supply the monthly requirement of Iran for palm oil. This will be done through the Plant Now Pay Later Program;

3. On the short term, review the quality of the raw rubber produced in North Cotabato to ensure its marketability and on the long term implement a massive rubber tree planting program, especially in the mountainous and deforested areas of the province to supply the needs of Iran Tire and other Iranian buyers.

When I talked to Amir Shahamat recently, I told him that I believe he is heaven sent for me and the poor farmers of North Cotabato.

With this development, I am all the more convinced that God is guiding me and aiding me to lead my people out of difficult situation that they are in right now, into a better and brighter future.

(Photo caption: Amir Shahamat of HBT Corporation of Iran pose for a picture with me during our recent visit to the cattle ranch of Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu.)