Century Pacific Food, Inc. (PSE:CNPF), one of the largest food and beverage manufacturers in the Philippines, announced that the expansion of its coconut OEM facility in Mindanao is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
The Company embarked on a Php 700M expansion project to increase the plant’s capacity by 50% and add new lines to the facility following the extension and expansion of long-term contracts with major partners, Linaco and Vita Coco, in 2020.
The Linaco Group is a leading regional coconut producer headquartered in Malaysia. It has an extensive range of high value products sold in major retail outlets domestically and internationally. Linaco has a vast global network with a footprint in over 40 countries, located across Europe, Middle East, China, Hong Kong and Australia.
Vita Coco, on the other hand, is the world’s leading coconut water brand, with CNPF as one of its largest and long-time manufacturers. The Company has produced many of the brand’s coconut products, including packaged coconut water.
Noel Tempongko, the Vice President and General Manager of CNPF’s Coconut Division, said, “The demand for coconut products has dramatically increased in recent years. More and more consumers are now aware of and actively manage their health and wellness every day, and they turn to coconut products, which are intrinsically healthy, to support their lifestyles.”
“This much needed expansion allows us to fully serve the needs of our key partners and consumers, both locally and globally. Investing in our facilities expansion is key to support our growth for both the branded and the OEM businesses in 2022 and years to come,” added Tempongko.
In 2019, CNPF launched its own line of branded coconut products called ‘Coco Mama’. The range is composed of culinary packaged coconut cream. The brand has been posting exponential growth since its launch, fueled by both organic demand and the pandemic. Other Coco Mama products include Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Coconut Sugar blends.
This expansion is another major milestone for the Coconut Division. In 2021, CNPF completed the commissioning of a 5.2MW Solar PV plant for its Tuna and Coconut manufacturing facilities. This serves approximately 15% of the power requirements of these two divisions. Thus, CNPF’s biggest manufacturing hub now harnesses over 60% of its power requirements from clean energy sources, hydro-electric and solar.
In 2020, the Coconut Division launched its tripartite partnership with GCash and HOPE to plant 1 million coconut trees in Mindanao to be donated to smallholder coconut farmers in the region. Together, the group has planted more than 300k trees, which effectively sequester greenhouse gasses and significantly offset the division’s carbon emissions. This program also supports the livelihoods of coconut farmers by making their farms more productive and help secure long-term coconut supply.
