According to the United Coconut Association of the Philippines Inc.(UCAP), the country�s coconut oil output in 2001 will probably rise by 4.4% to 2.59 million tonnes in copra terms from the estimated 2.48 milliontonnes in 2000. UCAP said it revised upwards its coconut oil productionestimate for 2000 from an initial forecast of 2.22 million tonnes in copraterms because of good weather conditions. It also forecast exports ofcoconut oil to surge to 1.22 million tonnes from this year�s estimate of980,679 tonnes. In fact, exports of coconut oil in 2000 exceeded theinitial forecast of 891,000 tonnes.

REUTERS