The country secured technical aid from a Brazilian company to help boost the country’s sugar and ethanol production.
DATAGRO, one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of sugar and ethanol, said it is eyeing to implement a Tech Transfer and Assisted Management Project with the Philippines.
The project will be piloted in Negros and Panay Islands and cover “demo plots” of 1,000; 5,000; and 10,000 hectares, which will be developed using modern sugar production and standards from Brazil.
“The Brazilian firm also proposed to diversify sugarcane milling operations by converting sugar in molasses to ethanol,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement issued Monday evening.
DATAGRO made the commitment during its meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), and members of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) in Malacañang Monday morning.
Marcos lauded the offer from DATAGRO to establish demo farms, which he hopes will boost sugarcane production in the country.
“President Marcos tasked the DA and PSAC to submit recommendations on ways to push forward with the projects, which not only seek to ensure sugar sufficiency, but also open the market for energy through production in ethanol,” PCO said.
“The chief executive also tasked the agriculture department to ramp up consultations with stakeholders and check on the viability of the projects raised by DATAGRO,” it added.
Currently, the country continues to import sugar since local production of the sweetener remains insufficient to meet local demand.
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