Sugar production projected to increase

MANILA, Philippines - Domestic sugar production for crop year 2014-2015 is expected to slightly exceed the previous year’s output, provided that weather conditions remain fair, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said yesterday.

SRA administrator Ma. Regina Martin said assuming good weather conditions prevail, domestic producers would be able to produce around 2.50 million metric tons (MT) of sugar, slightly higher than 2.44 million metric tons produced in the crop year that ends this month.

Compared to the previous crop year’s production level of 2.45 million MT, production growth for the closing crop year is flat. This, however, was higher than the revised production estimate of 2.35 million MT for this year in consideration of the damage inflicted by Typhoon Yolanda on five percent of the country’s total sugar cane cultivation area of 420,000 hectares.

Two mills in Negros would commence early production this month for the next cropping season that officially begins in September.

The SRA has yet to release a sugar order for the allocation of production.