The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) says a Japanese deep planting technique for sugarcane has boosted yields by more than 20 percent in local trials.
According to SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, sugarcane planted 30 centimeters deep produced an average of 77.23 tons per hectare—up from 63.92 tons using traditional planting depths of 10 to 20 cm. This translates to about 28 more bags of sugar and an estimated additional income of ₱68,215 per hectare.
The results came from a study conducted with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). The agency says deeper planting leads to longer and thicker canes, better resistance to drought and lodging, and fewer missed plants during mechanical harvesting. The method was first developed in Thailand and has shown good performance under drought and typhoon-prone conditions in the Philippines.
Given the positive results, the SRA is looking to expand the use of deep planting nationwide.
The update comes as the agency earlier projected an 8.1 percent drop in local sugar output for crop year 2025–2026, partly due to pest infestations. The country expects to produce 1.92 million metric tons, below the estimated demand of 2.3 million MT.
As of December 1, retail sugar prices in Metro Manila stood at ₱82.01/kg for refined, ₱75.41/kg for washed, and ₱73.74/kg for brown. Millsite prices for raw sugar were at ₱2,401.98 per 50-kg bag as of November 9.
