Philippines : ‘Tino’ leaves over P1.2-B losses in Visayas sugar industry; more than 16,000 farmers affected
Typhoon Tino caused an estimated P1.2 billion in damage to the Visayas sugar industry, affecting over 53,000 hectares and 16,000 farmers, according to the SRA. Several mills halted operations, and major districts in Negros suffered severe losses. Initial estimates suggest at least 500,000 bags of raw sugar may be lost.
BACOLOD City – Typhoon “Tino” has inflicted an estimated P1.2 billion in losses on the sugar industry in the Visayas, according to a partial damage assessment released by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
The SRA reported that more than 53,000 hectares of sugarcane fields across the mill districts of Negros Island, Capiz, Iloilo, Leyte, and Cebu were affected, impacting over 16,000 sugar farmers.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the initial assessment was completed only recently after their research stations and personnel recovered enough to resume operations following the devastation.
Azcona said field personnel have been mobilized to conduct a full assessment, which will also include areas hit by Typhoon “Uwan,” to determine the total extent of damage across sugar-producing provinces.
“We have seen entire fields decimated by “Tino,” especially in the fourth and fifth districts of Negros Occidental where harvestable canes were flattened and flooded. We can only hope that these fields will recover,” he said.
The typhoon also disrupted operations in the milling sector, with four sugar mills forced to halt production for nearly a week due to storm damage. Azcona cited the mills in La Carlota City and Binalbagan, which had to suspend operations before eventually resuming once repairs were made.
“Typhoon “Tino” was among the strongest storms and brought the heaviest flooding we have experienced in the past two decades. It is a major challenge to an industry already struggling with the RSSI infestation,” Azcona added.
He noted that flooding reached areas that had never been submerged before, partly due to the continued ashfall from Mt. Kanlaon, which clogged rivers and drainage systems with ash and lahar.
To support affected farmers, the SRA has begun procuring fertilizers for distribution to mill districts and sugar planters’ associations.
Among the hardest-hit areas was the BISCOM mill district, covering Himamaylan City and the towns of Isabela, Binalbagan, Hinigaran, and Moises Padilla, where more than 20,000 hectares of sugar lands were severely damaged. Other badly affected districts include La Carlota with over 10,000 hectares, San Carlos, Sagay–Danao, and Ma-ao in Central Negros.
“These are only partial reports, and we expect the numbers to rise once the full assessment comes in. Initial conservative estimates point to a drop of at least 500,000 bags of raw sugar, excluding losses in molasses,” Azcona said.
Despite the massive damage, Azcona remains hopeful, calling on stakeholders to work together to ensure a unified recovery for the industry.
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Source : Panay News
