Modern muscovado mill to rise in Antique
SAN JOSE, Antique—A modern muscovado mill will soon rise in Antique as part of the province's efforts to regain its title as the muscovado capital in the country.
The mill in Barangay Kasit-an in Laua-an town, 56 km north of the capital town of San Jose, is equipped with seven cauldrons and capable of producing 20 tons of muscovado sugar monthly is set to be completed by the end of the year, said Ernesto Española, manager of the Laua-an Multi-Purpose Cooperative. .
Funded by a P2.6 million loan from the Visayas Central Fund Federation through PDAF, the mill is expected to serve Laua-an and neighboring towns with a capacity to operate 24 hours a day.
Project consultant Reinzi Solignen said the mill will be the biggest and most modern on Panay Island.
"This will be help put Antique on top of the muscovado industry again," said Española.
After years of decline, Antique is reviving its muscovado sugar industry with the recent launching by stakeholders of a three-year master plan aimed at boosting production and improving quality.
Spearheaded by the Antique provincial government and the Philippine Development Assistance Program Inc. (PDAP) with funding support from the Canadian International Development Agency, the launching was attended by local government units, donors, creditors, non-government organizations, cooperatives, traders and buyers and farmers' cooperatives.
"Antique still has the advantage because it has the volume and production capacity,"said PDAP Executive Director Jerry Pacturan.
Antique was the industry leader in the 1960s, producing about 70 percent of the country's total muscovado sugar.
The rest of Western Visayas was also among the leading producers since the 18th century when muscovado export flourished after the opening of the Iloilo port. The industry provided livelihood to thousands of small-scale farmers.
But the region was affected by the slump in the muscovado production when refined sugar started to dominate the sugar industry.
By 1929, centrifugal sugar or white sugar displaced muscovado as the exportable sugar accounting for 96 percent of the total exports to the US. Many farmers also shifted to centrifugal milling.
The general shift severely dampened the muscovado sugar industry.
Muscovado milling receded as a backyard industry and lost its competitiveness to white sugar. The volume and quality of production subsequently dropped due to decades of neglect, inefficient milling practices and underdeveloped marketing channels.
The number of muscovado processing mills declined from 457 in 1994 to 304 in 1997 and 258 in 2004, according to the PDAP study, citing data from the Sugar Regulatory Commission.
Antique's production has dropped significantly compared to the 1960s when it accounted for 70 percent of the Philippine muscovado industry. The province's total production dropped to 38 percent of the country's total in 2001, 34 percent in 2002 and 27.44 percent the year after.
But despite the shift, Antique was among the provinces that continued to produce muscovado.
The absence of centrifugal milling facilities in the province helped preserved the industry. Many families who have been muscovado farmers and millers for generations also refused to shift to centrifugal sugar.
In recent years, prospects for recovery not only for Antique but the industry have become brighter.
The PDAP study said market demand has increased significantly in the domestic and international markets.
Demand has been boosted by increasing preference for health and natural products.
This has boosted muscovado production in the country from 1,359 metric tons in 1990 to 10,207 in 2001 with most of the produce consumed locally.
"There is a trend of increasing farmgate prices. There is a big demand but not enough supply which means that the market is not a problem. It's there," said Pacturan.
But in order to grab and maximize the opportunities, industry players in Antique have to resolve major challenges and overcome weaknesses while taking stock of strengths and advantages.
Despite the general decline, Antique is still ahead in terms of total muscovado production, number of mills, workforce and areas planted.
As of 2004, the province accounted for 149 of the 258 mills in the country. Areas alloted for sugarcane for muscovado production reached 700 hectares or 34 percent of the country's total of 2,071 hectares.
More than half of the farmers involved in muscovado production (1,160 of 2,097) are in the province.
Muscovado production is present in seven of the province's 18 municipalities mostly concentrated in Laua-an town. Production is also present in the towns of Patnongon, Belison, Sibalom, Valderrama, San Jose and Barbaza.
Stakeholders, including creditors, farmers and millers cooperatives, buyers and distributors and non-government organizations are optimistic that these can be turned around.
PDAP's Pacturan said the master plan aims to increase production, improve product quality and increase the the income of households.
This involves boosting production and efficiency at the farm-level by providing training, upgrading and modernizing of mills. The plan also calls for developing and providing appropriate credit and other support systems and access.
Stakeholders are also envisioning the setting up of a private sector-led body to coordinate efforts in implementing the master plan.