MANILA, Philippines – The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is looking at adopting technological advancements in agriculture from Thailand to boost sugarcane productivity in the Philippines.
A technical team from SRA is currently in Thailand to deal with technology and policy scoping, and benchmarking analysis. It is set to pay a courtesy visit to the Office of the Thai Cane and Sugar Board.
SRA aims to have relevant exchanges in agricultural technologies and best practices on energy production and environmental management, sugarcane cultivation and harvesting, and development of farm machinery suited for sugarcane farms in the country.
The team will also meet with professors of the Graduate School of Energy and Environment at King Mongkut’s University of Technology to discuss agricultural feed stocks for energy production and waste-water management, distribution and use for irrigation.
“We received positive word of mouth from some farmers that have bought Thai farm machinery and equipment including harvesters. We will visit some of the Thai farm equipment manufacturers and check if their machinery are suited to our farms,” SRA administrator Ma. Regina Martin said.
According to Martin, mechanized cane harvesters and loaders must expedite harvesting and milling of canes due to significantly low sugar per ton of canes.
She added the agency would utilize its funds provided under the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA), which lays down the conditions for the maximization of the country’s sugarcane resources and provide support to small farmers.
This year, SRA will commence full implementation of the SIDA, which took effect last April 2015, and will focus on research and development and strengthening of mill districts.
The SRA earlier reported that 2016 could pose bigger challenges to the sugarcane industry in the Philippines due to dwindling farm areas and the impending long dry spell.
Martin underscored the need to produce more sugar at a lower cost following the continuous severe weather conditions brought about by El Niño.
“Climate condition and weather pattern are the major factors which will determine the outcome of sugarcane yields in 2016,” she said.