Tarlac farmers upbeat, see sugar profits soaring
The sugar milling season here has begun, with farmers estimating to sell more than a million metric tons (MT) this year, compared to last year’s 720,000 MT.
The yield was higher this year because more areas were planted with sugarcane and improved varieties were used, Marcelino Aganon, president of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Planters Association (Catpa), said on Monday.
Founded in 1952, the association has 1,200 member-planters. Its members are expected to earn a net income of between P20,000 and P25,000 a hectare if a 50-kilogram bag of raw sugar fetches P1,200 to P1,400 in the market, Catpa manager Romeo Lejano said.
“We had it good last year when the price of sugar rose to P2,400 for every bag,” he said.
Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT) inside Hacienda Luisita is expected to mill 850,000 to 900,000 MT for the period, according to Dr. Noel Mallari, manager of the CAT administrative division.
Between 50,000 and 100,000 MT of sugar, or about 10 percent of projected yield, were damaged by Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” that hit Central Luzon in September and October, Mallari said.
Farmers get 68 percent of the milled sugar while CAT gets 31 percent. One percent goes to association dues.
Mallari said CAT provides fertilizers to planters.
From land preparation to milling, the sugar industry in Tarlac generates P5 billion worth of jobs, production supplies and sugar stocks.
The yield this year indicated that the sugar industry had overcome the slump it suffered on the heels of the labor and agrarian dispute that rocked Hacienda Luisita in 2004, leaders said.
In Cabanatuan City, the business community distributed P2.88 million worth of hybrid rice seeds to 600 Nueva Ecija farmers who lost their crops to the last two typhoons that struck the province. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), local Chinese-Filipino businessmen and SL Agritech Corp. distributed hybrid rice seeds to the farmers on November 6, said Reynato Arimbuyutan, president of the PCCI-Nueva Ecija chapter.
Nueva Ecija lost an expected harvest of 300,923.35 MT of palay due to the onslaught of the two typhoons. Valued at P12 a kilogram, the damage was estimated at P3.630 billion, according to a report submitted by Serafin Santos, provincial agriculturist.
“Farmers in Nueva Ecija have suffered much from the damage brought by the two typhoons. They really need help,” Santos said in Filipino. A total of 200 bags of seeds were distributed in Cabiao town. Vice President Jejomar Binay joined businessmen in distributing the seeds. He also spoke briefly to the farmers, town officials and residents at the Cabiao gym.
Cabiao Mayor Gloria Congco said they are drafting a position paper for President Aquino seeking a rice-subsidy program. “We have more than 3,000 farmers whose farms were destroyed,” she said.
The donors, led by PCCI president Francis Chua, proceeded to San Jose City to hand over 100 bags of seeds there.
Arimbuyutan said 200 bags of seeds were later distributed to Licab town farmers and 100 bags were given to Sta. Rosa farmers. Each bag was worth P4,800. Tonette Orejas, Anselmo Roque and Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon
