Mechanization of sugar industry urged

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. said it is high time that the sugar industry shift to the mechanization of its operations to save money and to speed up cane works. "As of now, we have high cost of production but cheap labor," he said.

The governor was referring to the sugar workers or those involved in "karga-tapas," a long-process system with workers being paid cheaply. The sugar industry spends resources for researches on breeding high-quality sugar cane but never on the mechanization of its other operations, he said.

In earlier interviews, provincial legal officer Jose Ma. Valencia said that, aside from the low-buying of sugar due to oversupply or overproduction, another problem facing the industry is the gradual disappearance of sugar workers.

The small sugar planters are losing their farmers and workers to bigger sugar producers because of higher wages being offered by the latter. Soon there will be shortage of workers for small sugar planters, he said.

Maranon however said that if the sugar industry mechanizes its operations, there will be no more need for labor or "karga-tapas."