The Department of Agriculture is urging sugarcane farmers to increase their level of mechanization and use of organic farming technologies to become more competitive and cost-effective ahead of the ASEAN economic integration in 2015, which will reduce tariffs of sugar imports from 48 percent in 2010 to 5 percent in 2015.

At the recent general assembly of the Batangas Sugar Planters’ Cooperative Marketing Association, Inc., Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala told industry stakeholders that the department will support the establishment of an organic fertilizer manufacturing facility in the province.

Alcala also advised the sugar stakeholders to increase the mechanization in their farms as well, saying that the government would shoulder 85 percent of the cost of farm machinery distributed to qualified farmer groups.

In 2012, the DA launched its mechanization program for rice farmers and growers of other high-value crops.

Increased mechanization is seen to raise the average sugar cane yield from 60 tons per hectare to 70-80 tons per hectare.

In 2012, the Sugar Regulatory Administration launched the first phase of its block farming scheme in the province.

The system groups farmers' production areas into an integrated 30- to 50-hectare block to improve cost efficiency and profitability of the sugarcane production process, which includes land preparation, planting, fertilization and harvest.

The first phase of the scheme resulted in 16 block farms with a budget of P450,000 for each.

For the second phase of the scheme, the SRA is planning to establish 29 block farms in the Visayas with a budget of P600,000 per site. It will be launched in Bacolod.

The government expects to put up 100 block farm sites by 2015. — BM, GMA News