Business

Ronnie Baldonado photoThe United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) is urging the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to scrap the A sugar or the US sugar quota for the coming crop year if the supply is just enough for the country’s consumption.UNIFED President Manuel Lamata, in a press release, said “there is no point to allocate A sugar when we will also import the differential to satisfy the local needs.”Lamata said UNIFED is stating its stand in anticipation of Sugar Order No. 1, which is expected to come out by next week and with talks rife that there are sectors who are pushing for a 7-8 percent allocation for the US market.UNIFED agreed to a seven percent allocation of A sugar last year. But the problem was, “the farmers were short-changed because the differential...

The two other electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental announced power rate hikes for August, too.The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO) in an advisory Friday, August 20, said that its residential rate is up P2.3061 per kWh this month.Its power rate increased from P11.5152 per kWh in July to P13.8212 in August, NONECO announced.The high electricity market prices were due to the critical level of power in Negros and Panay islands caused by the damaged submarine cable line of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) that connects Cebu and Negros, annual preventive maintenance of Palm Concepcion Power Corp. and the derated power generation of Panay Energy Development Corp., the NOCECO advisory said.The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO)...

Ceneco photoThe three electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental will have large power rates increases this month because of the damaged National Grid Corp. of the Philippines submarine cable connecting the Cebu-Negros transmission line, Danny Pondevilla, Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) acting general manager and project supervisor, said Thursday, August 19.He said the average residential rate of CENECO for August will be P12.3724 per kWh, an increase of P1.8789 per kWh from last month’s rate of P10.4935 per kWH.He attributed this to the hike in generation charges that resulted from the increase in market prices because of the damaged submarine cable and preventive maintenance work at Palm Concepcion Power Corp. in Iloilo, Energy Regulatory Commission approved adju...

PondevillaA group of power consumers is vehemently opposing the holding of the 43rd Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) of Central Negros Electric Cooperative on September 26, saying it poses a danger to the health and lives of its consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The Unity Forum of Consumers in the Power Industry (UFC-PI) in its resolution said the AGMA gathering would trigger the spread of the COVID-19 virus, particularly the Delta variant.The holding of the AGMA is unnecessary, impractical and it is not indispensable to the continuous operation of Ceneco, the resolution said.Dan Pondevilla, Ceneco acting general manager and project supervisor, said the AGMA will be held virtually via Zoom, there will be no huge gathering of people.The AGMA will be held for ...

Ronnie Baldonado photoThe National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) is opposing the request of the Ethanol Producers Association of the Philippines (EPAP) to import molasses as feedstock for the production of bioethanol.“The importation of molasses will adversely affect the prices of domestically produced molasses, which will be disadvantageous to our thousands of sugarcane farmers,” NFSP President Enrique Rojas said Thursday, August 19.Aside from its main product of sugar, the sugar milling process also produces molasses as a by-product, and it is one of the major sources of income of sugarcane farmers. Molasses is mainly used to ferment rum, feedstock for bioethanol, additive for animal feed and as cooking and baking ingredient, a press release from NFSP said.The B...

Ronnie Baldonado photoThe United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) reiterated its strong opposition to the Ethanol Producers Association of the Philippines’ (EPAP) appeal to import molasses, during the Bioethanol Consultative Board (BCB) virtual meeting Tuesday, August 17.UNIFED President Manuel Lamata said Wednesday, August 18, this move by EPAP has already been thumbed down by members of the BCB last month, yet they found ways to raise the issue up through the House Committee on Energy, chaired by Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo.Lamata said he was glad that the BCB stood pat on their decision to oppose the importation of molasses, especially at this time when milling season is about to start.BCB’s position will be adopted by the Sugar Regulatory Administration and will be submi...

PVO photoThe Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinarian Office has intensified its monitoring of endemic animal diseases as high mortality of chickens was reported in Sitio Minnesota, Brgy. Sag-ang, La Castellana.District 5 Veterinarian Dr. Ma. Regina Gawan confirmed that there were 72 chicken deaths due to New Castle Disease, and said she has conducted lectures among the affected poultry raisers on what to do in case the situation will worsen. They were advised to isolate the sick animals to avoid contamination.She also advised that poultry raisers to observe regular disinfection of the area, provide vitamins supplements to chickens that have not yet been affected by NCD to boost their immune system, and observe vaccination programs for the prevention of contamination and mort...