THE Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to expand the benefits and services under the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. directed the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to carry out the said expansion that will include fuel subsidies, liming and fertilization programs, irrigation support and other comprehensive farm mechanization initiatives.
“Our big challenge is to make farming profitable, and the solution lies in embracing technology-based farming methods to optimize resource efficiency and lower costs of farm inputs,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement on Wednesday.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, meanwhile, said that discussions have already started on these new initiatives with the House Committee on Agriculture in Congress.
“[The expansion] was received well, [and] we will be submitting a formal proposal soon for Congress to approve this under the SIDA budget,” Azcona said.
As part of the initiative to modernize the sugar industry, Azcona also revealed ongoing talks with representatives from Japan, including Tokyo University, to introduce new technologies aimed at improving local sugar production.
“We started growing higher-yielding sugarcane varieties also from Japan, and hopefully, we will get good results to start a new breeding program for these varieties,” the SRA chief said.
“We had to bring in seeds, not cuttings, due to restrictions, and so it will take some time,” he added.
In addition, the agriculture chief also directed the SRA to establish a new breeding program and explore the acquisition of high-yielding sugarcane varieties from other sugarcane-producing countries to revitalize the local industry.
Tiu Laurel also emphasized support from the private sector, noting that the sugarcane industry has invested in automatic weather stations, drought indicators, soil moisture sensors and mechanized planting and harvesting.
With these new strategies, the government expressed optimism to not only enhance production but also provide greater support to local farmers in the competitive global sugar market.
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