The sugar industry is doing well despite the COVID-19 pandemic with prices at P1,500 per LKg, which is profitable to producers and fair to consumers, Sugar Board member Emilio “Dino” Yulo said Saturday, December 12.
“In terms of gross tons of canes milled we are about 50 percent higher than last year,” he said.
Although in terms of pureza, which refers to the purity of the sugar yield, it is a little bit less than last year, he said.
However, as the weather gets hotter the pureza is expected to improve, he said.
Yulo said he hopes the good prices for sugar will continue, especially during the Christmas season, that is traditionally heavy on the demand side.
Even if we are faced with a COVID-19 pandemic, at least agriculture has delivered for the country, Yulo said.
He said they are thankful to the provincial governments of Antique and Negros Occidental for allowing seasonal workers to come to Negros Occidental during the milling season.
The Antique seasonal workers who arrived in Negros Occidental were subjected to RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 and only a few who were asymptomatic tested positive, Yulo added.
They will be able to determine if this year’s sugar production will exceed their target by January, he said.*