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CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTINGS

Introduction

Dried Young Coconut Chunks are dried, diced pieces of coconut meat that have

been lightly sweetened with cane sugar. These delicious dehydrated fruit bits have a rich,

creamy taste and slightly chewy texture that makes them a great choice for baking,

cooking, and snacking. The sweetened dried young coconut chunks are great in cookies

as a nutritious alternative to chocolate chips, added to yogurt and oatmeal for a delicious

burst of fiber and texture, or added to homemade or commercial snack mixes for healthy

snacking. These diced tropical fruit bits can be used in both sweet or savory recipes to

add flavor. Further, coconut is one of the most favorite ingredients in many candy recipes

all over the world, it contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc., and many beneficial

health effects are thought to result from eating coconut. Midsayap has a wide range of

coconut plantation that is ideal for the production of coconut chunks that can be a source

of strategic development when it comes to young coconut chunks. Thus, the study will

determine the feasibility of dried young coconut chunks in Midsayap, particularly in the

grocery stores Poblacion 1-8 so that it would be easier to sell the products. The creation

of a brand for dried young coconut chunks will also be emphasized so that it would give

the perfect impression to the buyers and can be exported outside the province or country

in general.

The United States of America considered coconut as one of the best dietary

supplements that can help lessen any health-related issues and one of the major sources of
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dietary fats. Dried coconut chunks are being produced by different company with its own

varieties and are saleable, not just in their country, but also globally as it can be bought

online. In Thailand, the flavor and nutrition of Thai coconuts are preserved by freeze-

drying them after being harvested at their peak. Each bite of freeze-dried coconut meat

tastes like it was picked right off the tree thanks to a technique that protects the

potassium, manganese, and fiber in the coconut as well as its fiber and potassium content.

In the Philippines, it is common to produce products coming from coconut such as

its water to satisfy thirst, its milk when combined with any prepared viands would change

its taste and others. However, it is not common in the country to have coconut chunk that

is sold in the grocery stores. The manufacturing of the dried young coconut chunks is

only in Cebu City but its popularity reached near regions around Cebu just like Bohol.

Considering the above premise, this feasibility on the production of coconut

chunk has been taken place to give importance on coconuts’ nutritional values and

marketability in terms of producing coconut chunks that could generate high income to

some business owners. Moreover, this product is unusual since dried young coconut

chunks haven’t found their presence in Midsayap yet and are affordable since ingredients

can be produced locally and also it is a great manifestation in endorsing one of the local

crops and products that can be seen in the vicinity of Midsayap.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the feasibility of the production of dried young

coconut chunks in Midsayap, Cotabato. Specifically, it aims to evaluate the market,

technical, management, financial, and socio-economic aspects of the study.

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Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study is limited in evaluating the market, technical, management, financial,

and socio-economic aspects of dried young coconut chunks. Further, the study will be

conducted in any grocery stores inside Poblacion 1 to 8 in Midsayap, Cotabato. The

respondents for demand of the study are the grocery store manager who will be selling

the products. It will take place from October to December 2022 at Midsayap, Cotabato.

Significance of the study

The purpose of this Study is to provide necessary information about the

Feasibility Study on Dried Young Coconut Chunks production. This Study may be

beneficial to the following individuals, groups, and institutions.

Investors. The findings of this Study may help investors in their decision whether

to invest in this production or not. Investors may use this Study as a good reference

before making a suitable decision of investment.

Small and Medium Enterprises Owners. This would help them make a plan

that would help them improve the overall business performance and make sure that they

would be open for innovations and developments.

Customers. This study would help understand the different marketing strategies

of a certain business and become more aware of the different ways to market the

products/services.

Department of Trade and Industry. It is responsible for conceptualizing the

possible outcomes and initiatives of enterprises to improve marketability and

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sustainability in general. Thus, it would lead to a more productive business market and

would also generate income and employment.

Local Government Unit. This study will serve as a streamline for new

innovations that are vital to one’s business and look for ways to improve such

innovations.

Academe. Through this Study, Academic institutions and administrators may

promote programs that are significant for their sustainability and development. The

results of this study may also help them in having a good picture of the different ways to

create a favorable environment in this kind of Food Production.

Future Researchers. The result of this research could be great, especially in the

conduct of similar studies regarding the feasibility on the production of dried young

coconut chunks in Midsayap, Cotabato.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are well-defined according to their use in the study.

Dried Young Coconut Chunks. This refers to a product derives from young and

sweet flesh of green coconuts produced from the coconut tree. This refers to the products

made from coconuts which is one of the local crops and products of Midsayap.

Young Coconut. This refers to coconuts that are not completely ripened or fully

mature. Young coconuts pertain to a soft in texture green coconuts which is the primary

ingredients for making Dried Young Coconut Chunks.

CHAPTER 2
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RESEARCH METHODS

This chapter elaborates on how the study will be conducted. Further, it will

highlight research design, research locale, research respondents, sampling technique,

research instrument, data gathering procedure, statistical tool, forecasting tool, industry

analysis tool, competitor analysis tool, customer analysis tool and market study.

Research Design

The study for demand will use a quantitative - descriptive method that aims

determine the feasibility of the production of dried young coconut chunks in Midsayap,

Cotabato. According to McCombes (2019), quantitative descriptive method aims to

accurately and systematically describe a population, situation, or phenomenon. It is

appropriate to be use because this study aims to identify characteristics, frequencies, as

well as the data analysis conducted on the survey.

Research Locale

The study for demand will be conducted in Poblacion 1 to 8 of Midsayap,

Cotabato. Midsayap is a first-class municipality in the Province of Cotabato where

business establishments and initiatives have started to flourish. Thus, it would be easier

for the researcher to conduct the said study since most of them are residing in Midsayap,

Cotabato. Midsayap as being recognized for technological advancement and business-

related pursuits and developments, the place is a perfect venue to sell this product as
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people come and visit the place, it is also considered as the center of business trades as

nearby municipalities such as Aleosan, Libungan, and Pigcawayan would go and sell

their products.

Research Respondents

The respondents of the study for demand will be the store managers who are

operating within Poblacion 1 to 8 in Midsayap, Cotabato. Further, the respondents can be

of any age regardless of their gender.

Sampling Technique

Purposive sampling technique will be used in this research study. Purposive

sampling is a sampling approach in which the researchers uses own judgement to choose

respondents of the population to take part in the study. It will be encoded, tallied and

analyzed. Thus, this study will be done through a survey questionnaire.

Research Instrument

The researchers will construct a self-made questionnaire. This will serve as a

primary tool in the conduct of the study. There will be three parts of questionnaires

(Appendix A). The first part contains about the socio-demographic profile of the

respondents. The second part are the questions for our chosen respondent about our

product to obtain historical data and the third part is their willingness to sell dried young

coconut chunks.
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Data Gathering Procedure

Before the research’s conduct, the researchers will send an informed consent form

to the Mayor for approval in allowing them to conduct a survey. After that, researchers

will send letter addressed to the LGU of Midsayap to obtain the list of members of the

Small Business Enterprise Association to easily locate the store and get relevant

information. Once they have obtained the list of the store managers, another letter to the

respondents with information consent form will be sent directly to them asking them to

be the participants of the study. Researchers will also orient the respondents to explain

the purpose of conducting the study. After the conduct of the study, their responses will

be tallied and interpreted using relevant statistical tools.

Statistical Tool

To attain the objective of this study, frequency distribution and mean will be use

to interpret the data. Frequency will develop to evaluate historical data and the

willingness of the respondents to buy the product. The mean of the scores will be

computed to measure how many packs did they sell for the last five years and the

willingness to buy. Further, it will be presented using tables and graphs to highlight their

results.

Forecasting Tool

The study will use the Simple Moving Average (SMA) in weighting all the data

points for determining the current price trends of the "Dried Young Coconut Chunks"

within the vicinity of Midsayap. Simple Moving Average (SMA) is a forecasting tool to

determine the average price of the asset over the specified period of time. According to
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Hayes (2022), SMA is used to identify whether an asset is in an uptrend or downtrend.

Moreover, this tool will provides an understanding of the price trends of the product

"Dried Young Coconut Chunks”, predicts the sales and budget for production, and

determine the possible factors that may affects changes of its price in a given period of

time.

Industry Analysis Tool

PESTLE analysis is a management strategy that allows the business to investigate

external factors influencing its operations in order to become more competitive in the

market. This analysis technique is an abbreviation for political, economic, social,

technological, legal, and environmental analysis. The company will use the PESTLE

analysis technique to identify the element that could be used to assess the products

market position. The company will focus on the economic and social aspects. Economic

factors are macroeconomic factors that have an impact on organizations or businesses.

Furthermore, social factors encompass a broad range of demographic factors such as

population, age, and religious beliefs, and shifting attitudes over time.

Competitor Analysis Tool

To understand the market, the need to determine its strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis will be used. This will help researchers

understand the competitive value of their products/service once sold in the market.

SWOT analysis is a framework that is use to evaluate a company's competitive position

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and to develop strategic planning and development that is necessary for a company and

assesses internal and external factors, as well as current and future potential.

Moreover, A SWOT analysis is designed to facilitate a realistic, fact-based, data-

driven look at the strengths and weaknesses of an organization, initiatives, or within its

industry. The organization needs to keep the analysis accurate by avoiding pre-

conceived beliefs or gray areas and instead focusing on real-life contexts. (Kenton,

2022).

Customer Analysis Tool

In this study, the researchers will use the 5Ws in determining the behavior of the

customers once the product is sold. This will help them understand the factors that affect

the marketability of their product; thus, their goal is to provide services that would

attract customers to buy the product. Further, customer analytics tools are a modern

innovation, and they empower customer success managers and teams to access,

understand, and act on timely insights. They bring together all the data and analytics need

so that they can fully understand customer behavior and analytics in real-time.

Market Study

This aspect will focus on market study more specifically on the demand for the

product in the market which includes its price, place, promotion, and product. The place

where the product will be sold is an ideal place to sell it because it has various
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establishments that can be used as partner sellers of the product. The price can be

affordable due to the fact that this is a local product that is readily available within the

place

Technical Study

This section will discuss the technical study. It contains a description of the

product and its process. Moreover, the development of the product will be the highlight

of the study which will include its machinery, equipment, supplies, raw materials, and

tools.

Management Study

In this section, management is the aspect of the study. It will discuss how certain

business operates in terms of selling the product. It includes the timeline of the project,

required staffing, pay and benefits, and conclusion. Also, it goes over organizational

structure and types of business organization.

Financial Study

This section includes details regarding the financial study. It includes the overall

estimated cost as well as predicted financial position, comprehensive income, changes in

owner’s equity, and cash flows statements. The examination of financial ratios, payback

period and the conclusion are also included.

Socio-economic Study
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This section of the research aspect will give a socio-economic study. It comprises

the social and economic impact, government contribution, and conclusion.

Ethical Consideration and Data Privacy Protocol

Protocols will be followed in conducting the study. The respondents will sign a

consent paper prior to the interview. The information will be used only for research

purposes. The identity of the respondents will be kept confidential. The data gathered will

be kept at the Research Center for five years and it will be appropriately disported.

LITERATURE CITED

CFI Team. 2022. Broad Factors Analysis. Corporate Finance Institute.

DebMandal, M. and Mandal, S. 2011. Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.: Arecaceae): In health
promotion and disease prevention. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine.
Hayes, A. 2022. Simple Moving Average: Its Meaning and Formula.
[Link]
Kenton, W. 2022. SWOT Analysis and its examples. [Link]
[Link]/blog/descriptive-research
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SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

Direction: Please fill in or check (/) the information needed below.

Part I. Demographic Profile of the Respondents

Name of Store (Optional): _____________________________________

Year of a Store: _________________
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Part II. Historical Data

1. Are you familiar with Dried Young Coconut Chunks?

Yes, proceed to # 2
No, proceed to #5

2. Did you ever tried selling "Dried Young Coconut Chunks"?

Yes, proceed to #3 and #4
No

3. Who is the supplier?

4. How many packs did you sell for the last five years?
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Part III. Willingness

5. If there is a local supplier, are you willing to buy and sell Dried Young Coconut
Chunks?
Yes, proceed to # 6
No

[Link] many packs in a month?