USDA forecasts Philippines' raw sugar production to stabilize at 2.09 million tons

Source: vncommodities.vn Disease pressure weighs on the sugarcane season — but there is still room for recovery. What causes many people to worry is the spread of the red-stripe soft scale insect (RSSI), which can reduce up to 50% of the sugar (sucrose) content in sugarcane. According to the report from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), approximately 6,333 hectares of sugarcane fields have been affected, mainly on Negros Island — the region that produces 65% of the country's sugar. However, the USDA remains optimistic because Southern Negros has better conditions, partially compensating for the losses in the North. At the same time, the area planted with sugarcane — especially in Mindanao — continues to expand from 392,356 hectares to nearly 400,000 hectares, helping the national sugarcane production forecast to increase from 24 to 25 million tons. Supply and demand: nearly saturated, import and export temporarily "closed" Although RSSI and the weather (heavy rain, ...