Stating the obvious

IT IS QUITE appalling to hear Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief, Pablo Luis Azcona, publicly lamenting the current sad state of the sugar industry – shrinking, or in the jaws of death? He cited land conversion in Negros as the “culprit” behind the plummeting sugar production. He is stating the obvious. Why?

Land conversion in Negros has been going on for some two decades already.

The“subdivision boom” in key cities – Bacolod, Bago, Kabankalan, La Carlorta, Sagay, Cadiz, Victorias, Himamaylan, Silay and Talisay – remains unceasing. Let’s add t he “solar power phenomenon” that also eats up big chunks of arable lands in the province.

As a Negrense and a sugar planter per se, definitely, Azcona knows what’s really happening around.

Let’s be candid, many factors are now complicating the “troubled” sugar industry – not just land conversion per se. That’s the reason why the current “dejected state” of the sugar industry poses a big hurdle for the SRA.

‘PYRRHIC VICTORY’

Holding a press conference on Monday, March 11, with the main topic about land conversion as the “villain” in the deteriorating sugar production, was “nothing but vague at all”. Call it “shallow reasoning” not attuned with the real “ganaps” for the masses to understand Azcona’s drive to somehow improve the condition of the industry he’s leading right now.

I think the SRA chief needs to open his eyes big and wide to see the real problems in the sugar industry.

The massive implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by the Department of Agrarian Reform ( DAR) here in Negros is the one causing a socalled “pyrrhic victory” against the multi- billion- peso sugar industry. Because of this, frankly speaking, many of the land tillers before became land owners. Alas, they couldn’t afford to till their lands.

If they succumb to sugar farming, the least they can do is to subscribe to an “as is where is” basis, resulting to poor yield.

Question: What’s the take of SRA with this reality?

Is Azcona ready to aid agrarian reform beneficiaries ( ARBs) to better their yield? The more the ARBs increase, the more the sugar production decreases. This is one of the “mathematical equations” that Azcona, I do believe, must try to solve as an SRA chief.

‘INCAPACITATED’

Being the new set of “incapacitated” sugar planters/ producers, t he mushrooming numbers of ARBs, particularly in Negros, is kind of a “poison” “gradually killing” the sugar industry. Now, what is Azcona’s or the SRA’s detailed plan of action to contain this “poison” as soon as possible?

I hope Azcona will say something more relevant to the challenges of time.

He should show “brilliancy” in dealing with “cancerous cells” that cause deterioration of the “immune system” of the sugar industry – and they are the growing numbers of the ARBs.

BLOC FARMING

I believe that the ARBs via bloc farming scheme must have the potent share in the annual or development budget of the SRA. It is called the Sugar Industry Development Act ( SIDA) Fund. Question: Who benefits most from this program? Is SRA transparent about this? I know many of t he ARBs’ sentiments against S RA. No. 1, availing any assistance from SRA via SIDA Fund is tedious. For a “no read, no write” ARB, it’s tricky, “beyond hurdle”.