Hawaiian-Philippine Co. in Silay City, Negros Occidental, will begin milling operations on September 30 because sugarcane crops have not fully recovered from the El Niño dry spell yet, its chairman Paul Curran said on Tuesday, August 27.
Curran, in a letter received by the Sugar Regulatory Administration, said HPCO will start receiving sugarcane on September 27.
“From our recent testing of canes and crop surveys, it appears that the canes have not yet fully recovered from the effects of the El Niño, both tonnages and purities appear low,” he said.
He said they feel the milling season will start slowly. Given their limited stocks of bagasse, they feel it imprudent to start too early, Curran added.
“We will be ready to start milling on September 15 in line with the SRA’s earlier directive, however, if the majority of mills defer starting until the end of September, we will not commence milling until the 30th,” he said.
If there is a significant change in direction from the SRA or the consensus amongst other mills is to start on the September 15 they may change their start date, he added.*