Philsutech Farm Tour, Thailand, March 11-14,2015

VP & Director Fernando M. Hernandez
Vice Chair Ernie S. Infante

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Group Composition

• Number of Participants = 62 Largest Philsutech Farm Tour Abroad
  
• Participants from all over the Philippines
  
• 59% or 37 out of 62 from the Visayas (Panay and Negros)
  
• 21% or 13 out of 62 from Mindanao (Davao)
  
• 19% or 12 out of 62 from Luzon
  
  

Group Made up 62 participants

Group 44% Ass, 28% Mills, 28% Businesses

Companies, Mills, Associations Represented

PHILSUTECH FARM TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Meeting at Thai Sugar Miller’s Corporation

Day 1: Visit to Kasetsart University and the Department of Farm Mechanics

Day 1: Field Demonstration of Implements

Day 2: Visit to Mitrphol Sugar Mill in Danchang Province

• Thailand’s largest and Asia’s Biggest Sugar Producer
  
• It is 4th largest Sugar Producer in the world
  
• Cogen plant: produces Sugar and Ethanol
  
• In Thailand is composed of Six Mills which have a capacity of 130,500 Tons daily. All Mills have Refineries;
  
• Privately owned Vongkusolkit Family
  
• Has a Business Unit called the Plantation Business and has set up several demonstration farms
  
• Research Areas include development of sugarcane varieties, irrigation system management, use of organic Fertilizer
  
  

Day 2: Visit to Mitrphol Planter’s Farms

Day 3: Visit to Saraburi Sugar Mill

•One of the 7 sugar mills under the Thai Roong Ruang Industry Company Limited
•Established in 1947 and has a crushing Capacity of 23,000 tons per day
•Co-gen plant producing 26.3MW
•Arranged a meeting with the Planter’s Association and other Growers

Key Takeaways

1. 1.The Thai sugar Industry is as large and as robust as advertised AND geared for Export
   •USD6B from Domestic Sugar Sales and Exports.
   
2. 2.The Thai’s are ALSO experiencing a shortage of labor – only 22% of their total area has mechanized harvesting and of late have had to hire from nearby countries such as Burma, Cambodia and Laos
   •Estimate they have 2M people from Myanmar and 1M people from Cambodia
   
3. Have a system of fixed pricing which they buy from the farmers at a price of anywhere between 900-1000 pesos per LKG 
   
4. There is no government subsidies for planters; only soft loans with interest rates at 2% but backed by the mills
   
5. In 2005 production was only 51 tons per ha. Average today is 70 tons/ha 
   

Philsutech’s Success in the farm tour would not have been possible without the assistance of the following agencies and people working behind the scenes;
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1.Sugar Regulatory Administration
2.Philippine Embassy in Thailand
3.Amigo Travel
4.Thai Sugar Miller’s Corporation
5.Philsutech Board of Directors

Thank you!!!