AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday said the government will release three new high-yielding sugarcane varieties to farmers as part of efforts to boost productivity and incomes.
Speaking at the 72nd Philippine Sugar Technologists Association (PhilSuTech) Annual National Convention in Cebu City, Tiu Laurel said the new varieties will be accompanied by free organic fertilizer containing beneficial microorganisms to be distributed by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
The SRA will also provide biocontrol fungi and farmer training to combat the red-striped soft scale insect, a pest that damages sugarcane by sucking plant sap and promoting the growth of black mold.
Tiu Laurel said he has directed Department of Agriculture laboratories to help produce the biocontrol fungi and called for additional laboratories at the municipal, mill and farmer-group levels.
He said such measures are needed to address challenges facing the sugar industry, including labor shortages, climate risks and low productivity.
Tiu Laurel cited mechanization as a way to address labor shortages, climate-smart agriculture to mitigate weather-related risks, and science and technology to improve yields.
“The technology we develop must work for the farmer,” he said. “If it cannot help them produce more, reduce costs, save labor, manage risks or earn better, then we have to ask ourselves, ‘what good is it?’”
He stressed that innovations developed in laboratories, universities and technology centers must reach farms and produce tangible benefits for sugarcane growers.
Tiu Laurel also underscored the need for a stable and predictable business environment that would encourage farmers to invest in improving productivity.
On sugar imports, the agriculture chief reiterated that imports are not an objective of the administration, but may be used to stabilize the market when necessary to address temporary supply gaps and protect consumers without undermining domestic producers.
He also called on PhilSuTech to continue helping the industry translate scientific research and technological advances into higher productivity, better incomes and greater resilience.
Founded in 1953, PhilSuTech brings together individuals and institutions in the sugar industry to promote advances in production, processing and agricultural technology.
“PhilSuTech has always been an important partner of our sugar industry, bringing science, technology and expertise closer to the people who need them most,” Tiu Laurel said.
He said the sugar industry must move beyond responding to crises and build its capacity to anticipate problems, adapt to changing conditions, and become more productive and competitive.