The Visayas sugar industry is reeling from the devastating impact of Typhoon Tino, with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) estimating losses of over P1.2 billion.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona revealed that the partial assessment covers 53,000 hectares across Negros Island, Capiz, Iloilo, Leyte, and Cebu, affecting more than 16,000 sugar farmers.
“These numbers come from a partial survey conducted only after our research facilities and staff were able to recover from Tino’s destruction,” Azcona said.
The SRA is now mobilizing personnel to conduct a full assessment, including areas hit by Typhoon Uwan, to better understand the combined damage caused by these two major disasters.
“We’ve seen entire fields decimated, especially in the fourth and fifth districts of Negros Occidental,” he added. “Harvestable canes were flattened and flooded. We can only hope these fields will recover.”
Typhoon Tino has also caused delays in milling operations, forcing four mills, including those in La Carlota City and Binalbagan, to shut down for nearly a week before resuming operations.
“Typhoon Tino was among the strongest storms and the heaviest flooding we’ve experienced in the past two decades. It came at a time when the industry is already battling the RSSI infestation,” Azcona said.
The SRA chief noted that flooding reached areas that have never flooded before, worsened by ash and lahar from Mt. Kanlaon clogging rivers and drainage systems.
In response, the SRA has started procuring fertilizers to help farmers recover, which will soon be distributed to affected mill districts and sugar associations.
The hardest-hit areas include:
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BISCOM (Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company) district – over 20,000 hectares damaged
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La Carlota mill district – over 10,000 hectares damaged
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San Carlos, Sagay-Danao, and Ma-ao districts – significant losses across Central Negros
“These are still partial reports, and we expect the numbers to rise after the full assessment,” Azcona said. He projected an initial conservative drop of 500,000 bags of raw sugar, not counting losses in molasses.
Despite the heavy damage, Azcona remains hopeful:
“There is no better time than now for all stakeholders to come together. We must help each other, ensure no one is left behind, and remain united as a strong sugar industry.”
