Guihulngan City  Mayor  Ernesto  Reyes  has issued  a memorandum prohibiting coconut  farmer from  selling  young  coconuts to  dealers, his office said yesterday.

The  mayor  said  the  rampant  selling  of   young  coconut  will affect  the  copra  industry because  there  will no longer  be mature  coconut  that  can be  harvested into  copra.

Earlier a number of businessmen from Cebu were in Guihulngan to buy young coconut fruit and coco shell in bulk. Young coconut fruits are being sold in huge restaurants while the white young coconut shells are used as accessories.

Reyes said he also ordered the police to monitor the materials being transported  through  the  wharf. Those caught transporting young  coconut  and   young coconut shell will  be   apprehended, he warned.

The   mayor   encouraged  residents  to plant  more  coconut  trees  and establish their coconut nursery.

At present   the  price of  copra   has increased to  P37 per kilo, based on  the  buying price  of  Dumaguete Coconut  Mills Inc. Provincial manager Brendan  Trasmonte of the Philippine Coconut Authority said the   increasing  demand  of  oil in  the  world  market  has contributed  to  the  also increasing  demand  for copra  in the  country.

He said  the  moratorium  on  the cutting  of  coconut trees  was implemented  in support of the PCA goal to increase  coconut production  and  preserve  the  existing  coconut  plantation  areas in the country.*MA

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