The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported that Typhoon Tino caused over P1.2 billion in damages to the sugar industry in the Visayas, affecting more than 53,000 hectares and 16,000 farmers.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the assessment was partial, conducted after SRA facilities and staff recovered from Tino’s impact.
“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 and we can only hope that these fields will be able to recover,” he said.
Four sugar mills, including those in La Carlota City and Binalbagan, were forced to halt operations for almost a week due to storm damage, causing delays in milling.
“Typhoon Tino was among the strongest storms and the heaviest flooding we experienced in the past two decades and a major challenge to our industry that is already facing problems with the RSSI infestation,” Azcona added.
Flooding worsened by ashfalls from Mt. Kanlaon also clogged rivers and drainage, intensifying the damage.
The hardest-hit areas included Biscom mill district (over 20,000 hectares), La Carlota (10,000 hectares), and other central Negros districts.
“These are partial reports from the field and we expect the numbers to grow… with initial conservative drop of 500,000 bags or more of raw sugar, not counting the molasses drop,” Azcona said.
To aid recovery, the SRA has started procuring fertilizers for affected farmers and called on all stakeholders to unite and support the industry.
