Bukidnon, Philippines—On August 5, 2025, a long-awaited breakthrough finally arrived for small coconut farmers in Don Carlos and Maramag, Bukidnon. For the first time, their cooperatives closed a direct deal with Granexport Manufacturing Corporation in Iligan City, selling 13 metric tons of copra worth ₱1.08 million. What seemed impossible for decades had become reality: bypassing middlemen and entering the formal market on their own terms.

“Dugay na kaayo mi nag-antos, kay ang presyo sa kopra ubos kaayo-usahay bisan unsa pa among kakapoy ug ka-init sa adlaw, dili gihapon igo para mapakaon ug ma-eskwela among mga anak,” (We have suffered for so long because the price of copra has always been so low—sometimes, no matter how hard we worked under the scorching sun, it was still not enough to feed and send our children to school) one farmer recalled, summing up the pain of generations who labored under an unfair system.

The shift began in June 2025, when the Department of Trade and Industry, through the RAPID Growth Project and the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), introduced the farmers to new possibilities. Through a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Coconut and Copra Quality Inspection Training, experts from DTI, the Philippine Coconut Authority, and Granexport guided the farmers on how to raise their production standards. For the first time, the idea of a direct market linkage was not just a dream—it was a clear, attainable path.

That path came to life just weeks later. The Kauban Multi-Purpose Cooperative (KMPC) of Don Carlos and the Narukdukan Kisanday Banana Cassava Corn Coconut Agricultural Cooperative (NAKBACCCOFAC) of Maramag, together with their Spoke farmer groups, successfully delivered their first copra shipment straight to Granexport. A total of 104 farming households indirectly benefited from the deal, with contributions ranging from just one sack of copra to more than ten—proving that even the smallest farmer could take part in this historic milestone.

It was a moment of both pride and disbelief. “Lipaya kaayo namo nga human sa hapit 40 ka tuig, ang among lubi nga taas na mura’g mo-abot sa langit, karon ra gyud nakabaligya sa planta sa GRANEXPORT,” (We are overjoyed that after almost 40 years, our coconut trees—so tall they seem to reach the sky—have finally been sold directly to the GRANEXPORT plant) said NAKBACCCOFAC Chairwoman Lilibeth Galendez, her voice breaking with joy.

For the farmers, this was more than a sale. It was proof that they could claim their rightful place in the value chain, earn more for their families, and start breaking free from the cycle of poverty.

As Bukidnon’s coconut trees sway under the highland breeze, farmers now see more than just crops—they see promise, prosperity, and possibility. This milestone, supported by DTI’s RAPID Growth Project and CFIDP, marks only the beginning. The next chapters will be about scaling up, sustaining quality, and ensuring that more farmer groups can walk the same path—until stories of struggle give way to stories of triumph across Bukidnon’s coconut lands.