“The farmer always comes first. Without the farmer, we will not have a sugar industry.”
According to Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, that was the marching order given to him by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel when he was appointed to head the sugar agency two years ago.
Azcona delivered the message during the opening program of the Philippine Sugar Technologists Association Inc. (PHILSUTECH) Technology Transfer and Farm Tour at the Planta Centro Hotel, Bacolod City on February 20 and 21.
Organized by the PHILSUTECH Agriculture and Farm Engineering Division, the annual farm tour features updates on research involving high-yielding sugarcane varieties, use of latest technologies in sugarcane farming, and various sugarcane cultivation practices which are cost-efficient and can boost production.
The SRA administrator thanked PHILSUTECH for leading the way in introducing technological advances and pioneering innovations to boost productivity and cut costs.
“From the SRA side, we are dedicated to provide you with as much knowledge and help as we can. We are proud to announce that, finally, our laboratories in Bacolod and La Granja now have the top-of-the-line soil analysis machines running and being calibrated. We are proud that the sugar industry has it, and it is the only industry which has such machines in Negros Island,” Azcona emphasized.
He added that the SRA will procure two more machines for Luzon and for Mindanao, in addition to SRA’s existing soil analysis machines. He stressed that this move is in line with the main thrust of the DA and SRA, which is the rejuvenation of the soil, because the farmer cannot do anything without healthy soil.
Azcona disclosed SRA is working on a program for small-scale irrigation systems (shallow tube wells) for small farmers. SRA is also pushing for the use of high-yielding sugarcane varieties, the modernization / mechanization in sugarcane farming, and the improvement of mill efficiency to boost the industry’s production, Azcona further said.
The first day of the seminar featured presentations and discussions by SRA researchers on “Revitalizing Soil: The Role of Organic Farming” (Virgie Celestial), “Mitigating the Adverse Effect of El Niño/La Niña on Sugarcane Production” (Michael Hamaybay); “Update on Current Pests and Diseases of Sugarcane and Their Management Strategies” (Rosenie Entima);
“Ecological Test of Phil 2013 Series Sugarcane Varieties in Five Mill Districts in Visayas (Joemar Benedicto); and “Recommended Phil Varieties: Characteristics for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience” (Rachel Sarol).
Hisumco agriculturist Mark Gerona also presented “Ormoc-Kananga-Leyte Mill Corporate Farm Current Sugar Field Management System and Practices in Producing Higher Yield”, while DCV Industrial Controls General Manager Dennis De Veyra discussed “GPS Navigation for Farm Equipment” and DC Cruz Trading Corporation Chief Operating Officer David Ethan Cruz talked about “Sugar Ripening Technology Using Drones”.
The second day of the farm tour brought the participants to the farm of Azcona in Hda. Lucas, Kabankalan City, where they learned about the importance of maintaining a nursery, horizontal planting method, proper canalling for drainage problems, land preparation, HYVs in terms of tonnage and sugar content, proper placement of soil nutrients and other practices of the SRA Administrator by in his farm.
About 100 participants from sugar-producing provinces in the country joined the PHILSUTECH farm tour. Sugarcane farmers from Mindanao made up almost half of the participants, bannered by farmers from the Sugarcane Growers Association of Bukidnon (SGABI) / Sugarcane Farmers of Bukidnon Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SFB-MPC) with 23 participants, Bukidnon Integrated Planters Association (BIPA) with 20 and United Sugarcane Planters of Bukidnon Association (USPBA) / United Sugarcane Farmers Agricultural Cooperative (USFACO) with 12.*
