Raw sugar production in the Philippines may fall to 1.75 million tonnes (MMT) in the current crop year, a 24-year low, due to El Niño.Pablo Luis S. Azcona, Chief and CEO of the Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA), said industry forecasts indicate that raw sugar production may fall short of the initial projection of 1.85 MMT.
The Main culprit is EL Niño
Azcona said an initial assessment by the SRA and industry stakeholders pointed to El Niño as the main culprit behind the projected decline in raw sugar production. With this, he said the SRA had confirmed its latest raw sugar production forecast.
Raw sugar production is decreasing
He said the warmer, drier weather was causing the crop to mature faster, but this resulted in smaller canes with higher sugar content. But the canes lose tonnage weight in the process, resulting in lower raw sugar production overall, Azcona said.
Pablo Lobregat, president of the Philippine Sugar Millers Association, estimated that total raw sugar production for the current crop year will be close to 1.75 MMT.
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