KORONADAL CITY, PHILIPPINES -- Agriculture officials in South Cotabatoprovince are bullish over the expansion projects initiated by KenramPhilippines for the planting of palm oil.

Rey Legasti, provincial agriculture officer, said all the areas in SouthCotabato, except Lake Sebu town, are suitable for cultivating palm oilplantations.

He noted that Lake Sebu is not conducive for growth of palm oil since theplant is ideal only for areas under 700 meters above sea level.

Lake Sebu, the undisputed summer capital of South Cotabato, is sitting at700 meters above sea level in the southwestern tip of the province.

"We have monitored that the company has been enticing farmers to cultivatepalm oil. We see no problems with it so long as the endeavor would notpose risk to the environment," Legasti said.

Boosting the claims of Legasti, farmers in Tantangan town said they areoffering their farms for possible palm oil development by Kenram.

One of the farm owners, Harold Suan, said he and other farmers inTantangan last month attended a meeting in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat,where Kenram is based, in a bid to earn more income by planting palm oil.

Presently, at least 5,000 hectares of land are planted with palm oil(Elaeis Guineensis) by Kenram Phils in Sultan Kudarat province.

Danilo Buenbrazo, Department of Trade and Industry Region 12 seniorindustry specialist, said that an hectare of palm oil could give farmersat least P45,000 income on the first harvest.

The optimism on palm oil comes in the heels of the industry players'pronouncement that they are eyeing the development of another 4,000hectares of land in Central Mindanao within the next 12 months for suchcrop.

Ponciano Narciso, president of the Philippine Palmoil Development Council,Inc. (PPDCI), said that industry players have agreed to put up palm oilnurseries in North Cotabato that would produce materials good for 1,000 to2,000 hectares plantation in the province.

Palm oil, aside from being an ingredient in making margarine andshortenings, is also used in the manufacture of soaps or detergents, amongothers.