Planters are asking the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to consider advancing the start of the milling season by a month to August instead of September, saying sugar canes that were planted early need to be harvested soon to avoid a drop in their quality.
“Hectares of standing canes are due for harvest in August. A year ago, in June 2022, the national government urged us to start milling early. Many sugar farmers supported the call, milling 432,356 tons as reported by SRA. Consequently, the ratoon plants, estimated at 400,000 tons are now mature and delaying their harvest to September will cause them to become over-ripe, compromising purity and tonnage,” said a letter of the Sugar Council, composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers’ Associations Inc. , National Federation of Sugarcane Planters and Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers.
The group said Typhoon Dodong which brought torrential rains and strong winds also caused mature sugarcanes to lodge and if left unharvested, will have lower purity and weight.
The Sugar Council warned any delay in milling will lower the weight and sugar yield of canes, resulting to lower sugar production and lesser returns to farmers.
The group also said producers especially small farmers need fresh income after months of no work in the farm.
The Sugar Council also warned starting the operations of mills by September can also create “an overwhelming demand for farm workers” and hauling services of truckers which are now in short supply.
“Farmers are apprehensive that this unprecedented demand for farm labor and hauling services will give rise to an unhealthy competition, thereby driving up their production costs,” the group said.
The Sugar Council said last year, five mills in Negros started operations in August in response to the national government’s call to mill the canes early because of the local sugar supply shortage.
“In view of the early start of milling last year, milling operations finished earlier than usual. Numerous sugar mills stopped milling in April this year, instead of the traditional May up to June. Consequently, some sugar farmers have had no income from their farms since April,” the group added.
Based on Department of Agriculture’s latest monitoring of public markets in the National Capital Region as of Friday, prevailing retail price of sugar ranges from P85 to P110 per kg for refined sugar, P80 to P90 per kg for washed sugar and P75 to P90 for brown sugar.
Meanwhile, SRA millsite monitoring showed composite price of raw sugar as of July 2 was 3,000 per 50 kg bag.
