PHL, Thailand, Indonesia form sugar alliance for ASEAN 2015

Thailand, Indonesia, and Philippines agreed in principle to form the ASEAN Sugar Alliance (ASA) to strengthen their respective industries ahead of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

 

A united sugar industry in the region is in response to the changing business environment in trade, growing demand for sugar, advances in farm and mill technologies, and changing weather patterns, the Philippine Department of Agriculture said in a statement Tuesday.

 

Elected as ASA chairman was Thailand’s Cherdpong Siriwit, while the Philippines’ Pedro Roxas was elected vice chairman during an organizational meeting last Nov. 7 in Bangkok.

 

Thailand broached the idea of a regional alliance when stakeholders from the Philippines visited the country in August 2012.

 

The alliance originally comprised Thailand and Indonesia, whose representatives decided to include the Philippines as an incorporating party.

 

While Thailand is the region’s largest producer and exporter of sugar, Indonesia is the biggest consumer and importer of the commodity in Southeast Asia.

 

The Alliance’s mission focuses on the important role of sugarcane as a raw material for food and energy, the cooperation on sugar related business development, and the support to the government sector for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community.

 

With a population of almost 600 million, ASEAN produces around 17 million tons of sugar, and consumes about 14 million tons a year. The consumption ratio per person is 23 kilograms per year, according to the International Sugar Organization. — VS, GMA News