Laua-an Progressive Muscovado Sugar Industry

by James Earl E. Ogatis

Traditional practices in sugarcane farming brought a competitive advantage in favor of the Laua-an sugarcane farmers to produce a much demanded muscovado sugar in the market.

Muscovado sugar as a one-town-one-product (OTOP) of the municipality of Laua-an, Antique is usually produced without much farm inputs.

According to Mr. Alfonsito Sorilla, Laua-an municipal agricultural officer, sugarcane farmers follow conventional farming technologies and not the new production technologies because of limited capitalization, small land holdings and the absence of irrigation system.

"We have 413 sugarcane farmers tilling around 400 hectares sugarcane farms, and the average landholding is 7,500 square meters per farmer. Most of these farmers rely on muscovado mill owners for financing of their farms," said Mr. Sorilla.

It is notable also that Laua-an sugarcane farmers use one variety, the Alunan or La Carlota variety. This variety is proven to be well adopted in the municipality. It is drought resistant, has good regeneration and produces more suckers.

Edgar Noble, one of the pioneers of the Antique Muscovado Industry Council (AMIC) said that he is ratooning his three hectare sugarcane farm for almost ten years now.
"Ratooning is one practice the sugarcane farmers employ to reduce farm inputs on the succeeding years thereby producing the same or higher production." Noble related.

He stressed that following proper fertilization schedule, applying lime, elimination of vines or aeration, and allowing farm waste to decompose increase his produce from 40 pikos to 60 pikos per hectare. But this production is much lower than the national average of 80 pikos per hectare.

Laua-an has 107 muscovado sugarcane mills but only 98 are operational. The seven mills are upgraded, complied with the hazap practices and accredited by AMIC. These mills are enclosed with a fence and use stainless utensils.

Some sugarcane mills affect quality and quantity of muscovado production of Laua-an. The conventional crushing method of some mills is poor and individual outputs are different in quality, color and texture.

Despite of these constraints, the municipality of Laua-an produces quality muscovado sugar for the entire province of Antique. Sugar produced even penetrates the markets of Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan specifically the Boracay hotels and restaurants.
Pahinis Festival
　

Their effort to sustain and improve the muscovado sugar pro-duction is stipulated in their annual celebration of Pahinis Festival. Pahinis is a Kinaray-a word which indicates the onset of the milling season. It is the general cleaning of all sugar mills from the surroundings, utensils, machines and carts.
　

This festival also showcases muscovado products such as kakanin, medicine and other confectioneries. Promotion of muscovado as health food, processed naturally, and free from chemicals.
　

The inclusion of Laua-an as one of the five central towns identified for the Antique convergence area of the DA, DAR and DENR signals better future for the muscovado farmers. Problems on production technology, irrigation, postharvest, packaging and marketing will be addressed soonest, the farmers wish. /MP