The Department of Agrarian Reform in Negros Occidental is hitting only about 10 percent of its targeted land distribution by the end of this year, an official of the agency in the province said.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer for northern Negros Occidental Igmedio Tabianan said Monday that their target is to distribute at least 17,000 hectares of land to these beneficiaries by the end of 2013.

However, as of this month, they only distributed a total of about 1,700 hectares.

4 sugar groups
back SRA order

Leaders of four planters groups yesterday aired their support for the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s Sugar Order No. 9, Series of 2012-2013 titled “Advance Swapping of ‘A’ or US Quota Sugar Produced in Crop Year 2012-2013 into “D” or World Market Sugar for Shipment or Export”.

They are Rafael Coscolluela – president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc., Enrique Rojas – president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, Manuel Lamata - president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, and Danilo Abelita – president of the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Planters.

‘Bulawan’ winners bared

The winners of the Bulawan Awards annual product design competition of the Association of the Negros Producers were awarded Monday at the fountain area of the Robisnon’s Place Mall in Bacolod City.

For the food sector category, Virgie’s received the best pastries, cookies, baked goods and flour-based products award for its white chocolate with camias and prunes, while Pueblo was named as best confectionaries for fruit preserves and other sugar-based products.

Jarvis Smoked bangus tapenade won the best deli products and other non-sugar based preserves and Fresh Start personal care collection bagged the price for best health and wellness preparations.