STA. MARIA, Ilocos Sur – Four towns in the Ilocos region are being eyed by the government as pilot areas for the planting of sweet sorghum and cassava which are raw materials for the production of ethanol, an alternative source of inexpensive fuel for the country.

Presidential Assistant Enrie Mendoza disclosed here that the pilot areas are Batac in Ilocos Norte, Sta. Maria in Ilocos Sur, Sto. Tomas in La Union, and Rosales in Pangasinan, found to be all suitable areas for the planting of the two crops.

Mendoza said the planting of sweet sorghum and cassava is being initiated by the national government as the two crops are rich in ethanol, a substance needed in bio-fuel production.

The planting program is in line with the Biofuel Act signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

President Arroyo is set to launch the planting program at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac when he comes to Ilocos Norte in the next few days.
Mendoza said under the program, about 300 hectares of salty and idle lands would be initially tapped for the planting of sorghum and cassava.

The planting areas would however be expanded to 1,500 hectares if the program is finally initiated nationwide soon.

“Although there are other crops suitable for biofuel, sweet sorghum and cassava, are the most convenient and beneficial crops for the farmers to produce,” Mendoza explained the choice of the crops.

Other crops identified for biofuel production are soya beans, ground nut, pigeon pea and jathropa.

Mendoza said sweet sorghum can be raised by farmers continuously all-year round.
In fact, he said, farmers could harvest the crops three times in a year in a single planting season through the so-called ratooning process.

Ratooning means the cutting of stalks of the plants to allow them to sprout for the next harvest season.

“Through this (ratooning) process, a farmer could earn a net income of P90,000 a year per hectare in sweet sorghum production alone,” Mendoza said.

It was estimated that at least 3,000 liters of ethanol fuel would be realized from a hectare yield of sweet sorghum.

According to Mendoza, MMSU is the accredited seed producer for sweet sorghum. The seeds that will be produced will be distributed to farmers regionwide.

The accreditation was made recently by the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

ICRISAT is a United Nations program based in India and is headed by a Filipino, Dr. William Dar, the agriculture secretary during the term of former President Joseph Estrada.