Coco-Sugar Price

[JJReyes]

I purchased coco-sugar from Down-to-Earth, a health food store. The product originates from Indonesia and Philippines sold at the equivalent price of P475 per kilo (PHP40 to USD1). Could someone tell me the per kilo price from a supermarket or grocery store in the Philippines.

 

My wife has been cutting back on the refined sugar for her cookie recipes. They don't taste the same. Possibly a more natural product like coco-sugar might convince her to use it as a substitute. If the price difference is substantial, my plan is to buy several kilos of coco-sugar on my next Philippine trip.

 

By the way, I tried using coco-sugar with my coffee. There is a slighly change in taste, but acceptable.

 

 

[Bruce]

my plan is to buy several kilos of coco-sugar on my next Philippine trip.

 

 

Yeah... JJ.... about your plan.......Does your plan include a gloved hand checking your body cavities? :hystery: Being the nice straight arrow you are, I assume you will properly fill out the US customs form and declare a few kilos of a powdery substance.....

 

The same kind of powdery substance that others have mixed in 'drugs' and if they get home with them, they cook off the sugary like substance and are left with their 'drugs' .

 

I think your plan is just asking for a closer look by the customs people which at best, delays you and at worse gets your name into some database even if the sugar tests as sugar!

 

At least make up a believeable  cover story that some guy named Tom, with an Australian accent asked you to carry the 'sugar' back to the US for his ailing mother?

 

Seriously... if you were a customs inspector and a traveler declared a few kilos of some native sugar.... would you say OK sir, have a nice day? NEXT! There are unprocessed food issues as well as the 'potential' that drugs are mixed into the sugar. Questions that I would expect Customs to explore...... as they put on that latex glove...... :hystery:

[JJReyes]

Hmmm. I didn't think about US Customs. Yes, I have been honest with my declarations including stating that I visited a farm or ranch while overseas. This usually results in a secondary inspection of my bags. During a previous trip, the Customs agent asked if I cleaned my shoes after the farm visit. I explained that I normally wear an old pair when visiting the family farm and then throw them away. He looked at my feet and saw my shoes were brand new. They must have logged this bit of information on their computer. During my last return, one agent wanted me to place my bags in their x-ray machine, but a supervisor waived me off towards the green line. Actually, the initial interview is done while going through Immigration. Customs looks looks at the notes from Immigration. It's either green or red line based on the notes.   

Edited June 6, 2013 by JJReyes

[Malcolm Graham]

66 for 250g at South Supermarket Imus.  Didn't seem to have any larger packets

[JJReyes]

66 for 250g at South Supermarket Imus. Didn't seem to have any larger packets

 

Thanks for the feedback Malcolm. It makes more sense for me to purchase coco-sugar in Hawaii at a higher price.

[Beachboy]

I've done a some research on Philippine coconut sugar in the past.  Price is about  $5-$7/kilo in small packages .. perhaps $3/kilo in bulk (e.g. 1000 kilo lots). It's popular in the health food industry in Japan-US-Europe -- hi glycemic index but sometimes falsely advertised as a sugar substitute -- it's still 95% sucrose. It's non-GMO, which might make it popular if the backlash against GMO foods gets any stronger.  The Phils government is making a big push on the product hoping it will be an incentive to get plantation owners to replant.  

 

There's a marketing company in Rizal called Nature's Blessing (you'll see them on 21foods.com and Sulit).  They are a USDA certified organic food supplier.  They sell the sugar in sealed glass jars suitable for export .. US customs duty is $0.40 per kilo.  

[JJReyes]

re's a marketing company in Rizal called Nature's Blessing (you'll see them on 21foods.com and Sulit). They are a USDA certified organic food supplier. They sell the sugar in sealed glass jars suitable for export .. US customs duty is $0.40 per kilo.

 

Thanks Beachboy. Our family farm has 400 coconut trees producing zero income. Why zero? One of life's mysteries. It's the same from 1,500 calamansi trees. No income.

 

My remaining three sisters would like me to takeover as farm manager. If I decide to takeoever, the coconut trees can be converted to coco-sugar production. In the meantime, my wife will use coco-sugar from the Philippines purchased either at Down-to-Earth or Whole Foods for her oatmeal cookies. I can eat a dozen in one seating.

[Bruce]

Our family farm has 400 coconut trees producing zero income. Why zero? One of life's mysteries. It's the same from 1,500 calamansi trees. No income.

 

In the Philippines that may fly. In the US, stick with that story and the IRS will climb up your butt with a flashlight looking at off the book sales by your current farm manager or his staff.

 

Coconuts drop off the trees every year. 400 trees should produce what??? 2,000 coconuts + + a year? What is the farm manager doing with them? Just collecting them and then putting them out for the trash pick up on Mondays and Thursday? :hystery:

 

I think your sisters are right! You NEED a job to keep you busy when you retire. Even just for mental health reasons. Otherwise you will get too fat eating oatmeal cookies...... :tiphat:  

[JJReyes]

Coconuts drop off the trees every year. 400 trees should produce what??? 2,000 coconuts + + a year? What is the farm manager doing with them? Just collecting them and then putting them out for the trash pick up on Mondays and Thursday?

 

 

I showed the attached photograph to experts with the University of the Philippines, College of Agriculture in Los Banos. They believe what my father planted is a high yield variety producing an average of 125 nuts per year. With 400 trees, the annual production should be 50,000 coconuts, and not 2,000.  

 

The question is, "Do I also want the aggravation of managing the farm or concentrate in trying to finding a buyer?" It's for sale. Cheap at P180 million. Any wealthy forum members out there? In the meantime, I can sit in a nice Hawaiian beach under the shade of a coconut treet eating oatmeal cookies. No worries about falling coconuts. Honolulu City & County crews come around with their cherry pickers and remove all nuts when they are about the size of an orange.

 

Once the farm is sold, I can sit under the shade of a Philippine coconut tree with a Mai-Tai waiting for a falling coconut to kill me. What a way to go! Unless, of course, those fattening oakmeal cookies get me first. 

Edited June 9, 2013 by JJReyes