August 22, 2024
Inquirer - https://business.inquirer.net/476108/sugar-firms-keen-on-later-milling
The Philippine Sugar Millers Association Inc. (PSMA) backs a proposal to postpone the start of the milling season by two weeks to improve their chances for a better yield.
In a statement on Wednesday, the PSMA said the two-week delay in milling could result in better cane maturity and possibly bigger volumes amid the adverse impact of the El Niño climate phenomenon on their harvest.
"While the association does not have the authority to change the start date, it will encourage mills to consider the delay,” it said.
The SRA said earlier several farmers’ groups approached the agency to adjust the beginning of the milling season by at least two weeks as an El Niño-induced dry spell had stunted the growth of crops.
SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona had requested PSMA president Terence Uygongco to convene concerned industry stakeholders and come up with a collective decision to adjust the start date to Oct. 1 from the initial schedule of Sept. 15.