The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters Inc. has urged Sugar Regulatory Administration chief James Ledesma to totally scrap the allocation of D (World Market) sugar by transferring it to C (Reserve) sugar.

NFSP, headed by Enrique Rojas, said in a letter to Ledesma that they are concerned over the reduced sugar production with the SRA crop estimate of 2.242 million metric tons at the start of the milling season. "If this trend continues, we will be lucky if we can reach 2.15 million metric tons based on our present crop estimate since all sugar areas have dropped in production except those in Mindanao," they told Ledesma.

PhilRice seeks GOJ funding to improve
R&D facilities in Murcia, 6 other stations

The Philippine Rice Research Institute is seeking funding to improve its research and development facilities in Murcia, Negros Occidental and six other stations in the country.

In a report released yesterday, PhilRice said that the project seeks to strengthen the capabilities of PhilRice R&D centers in developing and promoting location-specific technologies in strategic areas.

Aside from Negros Occidental, the project will also be implemented in Batac, Ilocos Norte; Midsayap, North Cotabato; Los Baños, Laguna; RTR, Agusan del Norte; Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; and San Mateo, Isabela. PhilRice in Murcia, the first station in the Visayas established more than three years ago, maintains a 90-hectare farm in Brgy. Cansilayan, the report said.

Petron to operate
fuel blending plant

MANILA - Top Philippines oil refiner Petron Corp said yesterd/font>

MANILA - Top Philippines oil refiner Petron Corp said yesterday it signed a 10-year contract to build and operate a $2.5-million fuel blending plant.

Owned by US-listed Innospec Inc the blending plant would provide fuel additives for Innospec's customers in the Asia-Pacific region, a Petron statement said.

Petron is guaranteed as Innospec's exclusive fuel blender in the region over the next 10 years, Petron said. Previously, Innospec products in Southeast Asia had been supplied by Europe.

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