SRA, VMC partner to boost sugarcane in Northern Negros

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — The Sugar Regulatory Administration, Victorias Milling Company, and key stakeholders have forged a partnership to establish a high-yielding sugarcane nursery and soils laboratory in Victorias City.

The initiative, formalized through a joint memorandum of agreement signed on October 7, 2025, at the Victorias Golf and Country Club, aims to strengthen Northern Negros’ sugarcane sector and aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s development agenda and the Department of Agriculture’s thrust under Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

The High-Yielding Variety (HYV) Nursery and Soils Laboratory is envisioned as a regional hub for innovation, designed to develop resilient sugarcane varieties and promote scientific approaches to soil health and productivity.

This milestone underscores the shared commitment of public and private sectors to sustainable agriculture and the global competitiveness of the Philippine sugar industry.

Key signatories included David Andrew Sanson of the SRA (representing Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona); Engr. Linley Retirado, President of VMC; Atty. Eva Rodriguez, VMDDC Chair and VMC Chief Administrative Officer; Kristine Cabuguason, VMC Chief Finance Officer; Ramon Lavides, President of the Florencia Workers Association; and Eduardo Deocadez, Farm Manager of the Victorias MDDC.

In a recorded message, Azcona commended VMC and VMDDC, emphasizing the importance of bringing research and laboratory services closer to Northern Negros farmers, a region vital to national sugar production.

Sanson described the initiative as the creation of a “mini La Granja,” in reference to SRA’s premier research facility in La Carlota City, and highlighted how it would improve productivity and restore credibility in Victorias.

“This is about mutual growth. When farmers succeed, so does the mill,” he said, calling the project a model for other sugar districts.

Atty. Rodriguez emphasized the strengths of each partner—SRA for research, VMC for infrastructure, VMDDC for local knowledge—and praised the collaboration as a collective effort driven by love for the sugarcane industry.

She added that the new facility will start promoting high-yield varieties and scientific soil analysis this crop year, advancing efficient and evidence-based farming practices.

Engr. Retirado expressed hope the initiative would revive VMC’s historical planter support services, which stopped in 1997, including fertilizer distribution, technical aid, and farm management training.

He thanked the SRA and underscored the need for “cooperation, collaboration, and execution” to ensure long-term success.

Edward Sarrosa, President of the Rural Sugar Planters Association Inc., which has partnered with VMC for 27 years, welcomed the “long-awaited” initiative and thanked SRA for bringing services from La Granja to Northern Negros.

“Without farmers, there is no industry,” Sarrosa said.

Also present at the signing were SRA Research, Development, and Extension officials, including Dr. Ma. Lourdes Almodiente, Helen Lobaton, Rex Jinon, Annan Villanueva, and Juan Andres Corro.