Sugar leaders are upbeat about the industry in 2021 with better yield seen.
Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Hermenegildo Serafica told DIGICAST NEGROS that based on the monitoring of the SRA research development and extension team, the standing canes are looking better than last year’s crop.
“Considering that we did not have major typhoons hitting the Visayas and Mindanao, we expect that we will be hitting our target this crop year, “ he said.
Visayas accounts for about 70 percent of the country’s total sugar production and Mindanao accounts for more or less 20 percent, he said.
“Once the rains minimize beginning this January, we also expect our LKG/TC to recover. LKG/TC is the amount of sugar produced per ton of cane,” Serafica said.
The rain lowers the sugar content of the canes while no rain results to a higher sugar content. With higher LKG/TC, more sugar will be produced per ton of cane, he explained.
Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers’ Federation, said “my forecast for 2021 for the sugar industry is very good, we have hurdled a lot of issues”.
“A COVID-19 vaccine is around the corner, businesses are going to come back to life meaning money will start circulating therefore demand for buying more sugar will start. The industry should stay its course, stay safe and keep on planting sugarcane,” he said.
Enrique Rojas, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters president, said they are grateful that the weather has been favorable to the sugar industry.
“We hope that the same weather continues and we will be blessed with the same favorable weather until next year, so that we can expect a favorable harvest and we can be assured of sufficient sugar supply up to next crop year,” he said.
As to millgate sugar prices, they hope that the prices will improve from the level they were before Christmas, Rojas added.
Rojas also said they expect that the government will continue its full support to the sugar industry and they are happy that there has been no mention of importation.
“However, at the later part of the milling season when we already have a clearer picture of the supply and demand situation and we can see that there is a shortage, then perhaps we can talk about importation, in consultation with the producers,” he said.*