Yolanda brings P1.2-B losses to sugar industry

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The country’s sugar industry incurred loses amounting to more than P1.2 billion from Super Typhoon Yolanda, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

In her presentation to Sen. Cynthia Villar during the first public hearing on a Senate bill seeking to strengthen the sugar industry at the SRA office here on Thursday, SRA chief Ma. Regina Martin said the sugar industry lost P1,210,969,409 to the super storm, based on the report of her agency’s Extension and Technical Services Division.

The losses represent 931,514.93 Lkg of sugar, or 2.79 percent of the country’s production, Martin said.

She said two sugar mills – the Bogo-Medellin Milling Co. Inc. in Cebu and Ormoc Sugar Co. in Ormoc City, Leyte – have been damaged and would not be able to resume milling of sugarcane for some time.

Martin gave assurance though that the country would have enough sugar supply despite the massive destruction in sugar plantations all over the country.

In its report, the SRA listed the following losses which mill districts in Negros Occidental incurred: Lopez - P175 million; Victorias – P300 million; San Carlos – P2 million; and Sagay/Danao – P210 million.

In the Panay mill districts, losses are: Passi – P115 million; Santos-Lopez – P58.9 million; Monomer – P27.8 million; Capiz – P82 million; Bogo-Medellin in Cebu – P68 million; and Ormoc – P170 million.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, who also attended the Senate hearing, said the damage to the country’s sugar industry is minimal partly because sugarcane is a resilient crop.

Meanwhile, partial reports show that the super typhoon’s damage to agriculture, fisheries and irrigation infrastructure in the country had reached more than P7 billion as of Wednesday, Alcala said.

Rice farms and fisheries suffered the most damage, but Alcala gave assurance that there is enough rice supply for the typhoon-devastated areas.

Alcala said more than three million bags of rice have been sent to the typhoon-ravaged provinces.

With Yolanda’s destruction of palay farms, he said the National Food Authority council would have to decide whether to import rice.

Fisheries sustained a huge hit, especially to fishing boats, he said.

“We really need to help the small fisherfolk recover and rebuild their lives,” he said.

The Department of Agriculture is giving 1,500 motorized boats to fisherfolk who lost their vessels to Yolanda, he said.