Muscovado sugar millers hold conference
The Panay Fair Trade Center (PFTC) with the cooperation of the Provincial Agriculture Office held last week its First Conference on Muscovado Sugar Industry Development at the 5th Floor Conference Room, Iloilo Provincial Capitol.
Participants of the conference were composed mostly of local sugar millers and invited representatives from different local government agencies, such as, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) AND Department of Agriculture (DA).
In his inspirational message delivered during the said affair, Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr., encouraged the local sugar producers to be more aggressive in their marketing approach.
Provincial Agriculturist Zafiro S. Palabrica, meanwhile, welcomed the participants and explained the rationale of the conference.
Larry Locara, from the Provincial Planning Development Office (PPDO) who serves as moderator and principal facilitator presented through power point a brief history of how sugar industry in Panay Island came into existence giving emphasis on the muscovado industry in the province.
Romy R. Tapalla, president of PFTC volunteered that PFTC's primary concern is to help small sugar planters through cooperatives in exporting their products abroad. The center through foreign funded grants extended financial help as well. They helped the millers in packaging and marketing their finished products which mostly been exported to Italy, Spain, Austria and Germany.
It has been reported that muscovado other than it is found to be more nutritious and good for the healthy, it has also a unique and inviting taste compared that to the white refined centrifugal sugar.
The big demand of this raw sugar abroad which is being processed the traditional way has encourage more sugar millers to engage in this industry.
Nelson C. Robles