President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has secured project commitments from Brazilian company Datagro to boost the Philippines sugar industry, the presidential palace said on Monday night.
Datagro had proposed during a meeting between its officials and the Philippine leader to start its technology transfer project on the islands of Negros and Panay, the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.
The project seeks to develop demo plots of 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 hectares “to showcase modern practices of production according to Brazilian standards,” the palace said.
The Brazilian company also proposed to diversify sugarcane milling operations by converting sugar in molasses to ethanol, which would help the Philippines cut sugar pollution and reduce the cost of refined oil imports.
“I’m very optimistic… that a long-term program to increase production and profitability in the sugar industry is possible… in the Philippines,” Mr. Marcos said at the meeting.
He tasked Agriculture officials as well as his advisors from the private sector to submit recommendations on ways “to push forward with the projects, which not only seek to ensure sugar sufficiency but also open the market for energy through production in ethanol,” the palace said.
Datagro had helped develop the sugar industry of Brazil, the world’s largest producer and exporter of the commodity. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
