Sugar production forecast reduced due to dry spell

THE SUGAR INDUSTRY is cutting its production forecast for the year as a result of the El Niño-generated dry spell.

Aida F. Ignacio, deputy administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), said in an interview late last week that the agency has revised its sugar production outlook to 1.9 million metric tons (MT) for the current crop year ending August from an original target of 2.18 million MT.

"It was mostly because of El Niño. [The planters] were discussing the effect of the dry spell [during the SRA board meeting on Thursday last week], and among their complaints was that the crops do not get enough water because of the heat," she recalled.

Archimedes B. Amarra, executive director of the Philippine Sugar Millers Association Inc., confirmed the new projection. "More or less, sugar production will be at 1.9 million MT, or it could even be less...We were expecting 22 million MT of [sugar]cane [this year], but what came out was only around 18-19 million MT. It was quite a substantial drop," he said. -- K. J. R. Liu

source: bworldonline