By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Being self-sufficient in producing local crops serves as the hallmark of a competent and technologically-advanced agricultural industry, as evidenced by other countries in Southeast Asia who rake in profits from exporting their agricultural products to nations in the diaspora.
The Department of Agriculture (D.A.) is keen on achieving such a feat, and has made significant strides in bolstering the country’s food production across the archipelago.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. praised the recent production data submitted by Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, stating that production output of sugar has reached 2.01 million metric tons.
He cited as such the first time that production of the staple sweetener has exceeded the 2-million-metric-ton mark since the 2020-2021 crop year. This production figure also exceeded the initial projection of 1.7 million metric tons, which is equivalent to six million bags of sugar.
Tiu-Laurel said, “This steady increase in raw sugar production under this administration shows that there is potential we can hit production demand of 2.3 million metric tons given the right conditions and sustained support for the industry.”
The Agriculture chief added, “We’re working closely with farmers, millers, and other stakeholders to ensure that this upward trend continues.”
In the previous crop year, raw sugar output was 1.922 million metric tons. The 2022-23 crop year recorded 1.799 million metric tons, already a recovery from earlier disruptions caused by weather and supply issues.
Raw sugar production last topped 2 million metric tons in the crop year 2020-2021, when the total output reached 2.14 million metric tons.
The rise in the production of the staple sweetener is attributed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s approval of the cropping calendar’s gradual transition from August in 2022 to October 1 in the upcoming 2025 harvest, which Secretary Tiu-Laurel cites as having appropriate climatic conditions to ensure boosted growth and productivity of sugarcane.
This positive development in the agricultural industry is in line with the Chief Executive’s mandate of revitalizing the domestic sugar industry, which in turn would propel the economy upwards, boost the income of sugar producers and local farmers, and generate more jobs in the following years.
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