Sugarcane nursery, soils lab to rise in Victorias City

A nursery and soils laboratory aimed at boosting sugar production will rise in Victorias City in Negros Occidental, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

For this project, the SRA is working with Victorias Milling Co. (VMC), the Victorias Mill District Development Council (VMDDC) and the Florencia Workers Association.

The planned laboratory will develop resilient and high-yield varieties and advance scientific approaches to improve soil health and farm productivity.

The SRA will handle research and other technical aspects. VMC will provide resources, infrastructure and facilities. VMDDC will contribute its on-the-ground knowledge.

Eva Rodriguez, chair of VMDDC and chief administrative officer of VMC, said the facility will promote propagation of higher-yielding cane varieties. It will also provide scientific soil analysis to support the shift into more evidence-based, efficient farming practices.

VMC president Linley Retirado said they hope this partnership will revive the company’s past agricultural and research services as well as extend them to planters not only in Victorias City but also in nearby districts.

Retirado recalled how VMC used to provide essential support, including fertilizers, lime, technical assistance and farm management guidance, to planters before it stopped providing these services in 1997.

SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said in a recorded message that it is important to bring research and laboratory services closer to farmers in Northern Negros, a key area in local sugar production.

SRA board member David Andrew Sanson described the initiative as the creation of a “mini La Granja.”