Sugarcane machine test run successful

By Dhel Nazario

SABANGAN, Mountain Province -- An inspection and test-run of sugarcane processing equipment to the Ambato Rural Workers Association (ARWA) was recently conducted here by the Dept. of Science and Technology – Cordillera Administrative Region (DOST-CAR).
    The equipment was granted under the Grants-in-Aid (GIA) project of the DOST entitled, “Improvement of the Sugarcane Processing Community-Based Livelihood Project in Ambato, Tinglayan”.
    The association, which produces sugarcane wine, was provided with a sugarcane juice extractor that can process approximately 180 to 200 kilograms of sugarcane and produce around 80 liters of sugarcane extract per hour.
    “This project aims to help add value to the sugarcanes being harvested by the farmer-association members. Currently, AWRA records an average harvested cane stalks of 65 tons per hectare per year,” DOST-CAR said.
    The test-run was conducted at the supplier’s fabrication site in Sabangan attended by, among others, the members of ARWA association, DOST-CAR, and representatives from LGU-Tinglayan, the co-implementing agency.
    The equipment was immediately transported to Ambato, Tinglayan, Kalinga and turned over to ARWA immediately after the inspection.