Sugar Regulatory Administrator Ma. Regina Bautista-Martin and leaders of the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines flew to Thailand for a series of meetings with officials of Thailand’s Office of the Cane and Sugar Board headed by Dr. Prasert Tapaneeyangkul, OCSB secretary general, to develop closer ties with Asia’s largest sugar producer and exporter.

One of the key points agreed upon by Thailand and the Philippines was the formation of an alliance comprised of sugar producers in Southeast Asia, Martin said yesterday.

Martin and Prasert were in agreement that such an alliance is necessary to provide leverage for ASEAN sugar producers against the volatility in the world market prices of sugar, particularly the New York No. 11 world raw sugar prices.

It will also serve as venue for the sugar producing countries in ASEAN to raise and address common concerns affecting their respective sugar industries or sugar in general, she added.

As agreed in the meetings, the initial discussion on the ASEAN Sugar Producers Alliance may begin in November 2012 in Thailand and will involve three countries – the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, Matin said.

The initiative will be initiated primarily by the private sector groups of the countries, she said.

Martin was accompanied to Thailand by Enrique Rojas - president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters Inc., Manuel Lamata – president of the United Sugar Producers’ Federation of the Philippines Inc., Francisco Varua – president of the Philippine Sugar Millers Association Inc., Jesus Barrera - SRA Board member representing sugar millers, and Butch Alisla - her chief of staff.

On Thailand’s side, in addition to Dr. Prasert, the OCSB was represented by Deputy Secretary-General Opas Isarasenarak and the next generation of OCSB officials Rangsit Hiangrat, Director of Cane and Sugar Policy Bureau, Porntip Siripanuwat, Senior Expert on Policy and Foreign Affairs, and Apichin Chotikastira, Director of Sugar and Sugar-Related Industries Development Bureau.

Addressing the problem of smuggling, Rojas and Lamata brought up the possibility of a link-up and exchange of trade data between OCSB and SRA, to synchronize the volume of sugar imports of the Philippines from Thailand with the Thai sugar exports to the Philippines.

Since in the past crop years, sugar exports of Thailand to the country far exceeded the import data of SRA, as a sign of cooperation, Thailand agreed to provide SRA its export figures to the Philippines, Martin said.

SRA and Thailand also agreed to the idea of a closer coordination in research activities between Philsurin and Thailand’s research institutions, particularly the universities, which conduct researches for the sugar industry, she said.

On that score, OCSB welcomes the planned visit of Philsurin to Bangkok in the later part of 2012 to touch base with its Thai counterpart, she added.

Martin, Varua and Barrera also met with the officers of the Thai Sugar Millers Association headed by its Executive Chairman Vibul Panivong.

The Thai millers, in addition to expressing support to the points agreed by SRA and OCSB earlier that day, indicated their intention to explore investment opportunities in the Philippines in the area of sugar milling, bioethanol production and commercial power co-generation, she said.

Thai millers have existing investments and interests in Laos, Cambodia, China and Australia. In fact, the largest sugar mill in China is owned by Mitr Phol, a Thai sugar milling company, she added.*CPG

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