The peak of the sugar milling season is expected to take off between the last week of October and the first week of November after a slow start in sugar production since the crop year 2024-2025 started in mid-September, based on the data of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said yesterday that during the first three weeks of milling, which began September 15, sugar production was 96 percent lower compared to the figures for the same period last year.
“I think our peak of milling will just be delayed. Probably, it would be the end of October or early November that bigger volume of canes will come in,” he added.
Data showed only 5,645 tons of sugar were produced since September 15 against the previous year’s 134,780 tons for the first three weeks of the milling season.
“There’s a big difference. In the beginning, a lot of mills and sugar associations were claiming that they were ready to mill, but very little sugarcane went into the mills,” Azcona said during an interview on the sidelines of the distribution of assistance to 13 sugar block farms on Negros Island at the SRA office here.
“We’re hoping that this is just because of El Niño that the milling has been delayed,” the SRA chief said.
He noted that the farmers are, maybe, not yet ready to mill as they feel that their sugarcane is still growing, and they could expect more yield if they delay milling a little bit more.
“As a sugarcane farmer myself, I know you can only delay so much because you would have to compete with other farmers for people [who will work in the fields]. Most of the big farmers are saying they will start milling by October 12, October 15,” Azcona said.
As of crop year 2023-2024, 13 out of the 25 sugar mills in the country are on Negros Island, including nine in Negros Occidental, the country’s top sugar-producing province.
Moreover, the SRA chief pointed out that the supply of sugar is stable, with farmers producing raw sugar and imported refined sugar coming in.
“Prices have been stable. Retail prices, which [are] important for consumers, are also stable,” Azcona said. (PNA)