Firm needs more coco shells

COCONUT shells will be in high demand in the province of Davao del Sur as soon as an export company of a sugar product extracted from coco shells begins full operations this year.
The CJ-Toyota Tsusho Xylose Plant located in Sta. Cruz town of Davao del Sur will increase its need for coco shells from 350 metric tons a day to 450MT or 85,000MT a year.
The required supply of coco shells is to meet the demand of producing 12,000MT annually of the D-xylose product or a sugar product derived from coco shells, said provincial director Engr. Edwin Banquerigo of the Department of Trade and Industry.
Banquerigo said the CJ-Toyota Tsusho has been operating in the province since 2010, and is exporting the D-xylose product to China, Japan and Korea.
D-xylose is used as sweetener for industrial and confectionery products such as toothpaste and gums.
Banquerigo told the media in last week’s Kapihan sa PIA that the high demand for coco shells will be beneficial to coco farmers, saying that this would increase their income.
However, he said that coco shell supplies in the province would not be enough to meet the demand of D-xylose production, noting the corresponding need for coco shells in the production of activated carbon or charcoal. This is why, he added that CJ-Toyota Tsusho is getting coco shells from other areas in Mindanao.
The D-xylose plant operation has generated approximately more than US$24 million in export sales since 2010, according to DTI’s accomplishment report of 2011.
The report stated that the company has also provided US$1.5 million in workers compensation covering 200 employees. [PIA-11/CARINA L. CAYON]