Antique’s Muscovado Mills Upgraded
This was revealed by the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office VI in Iloilo City which has recently assisted eleven sugar mills in Antique under the project called “Upgrading the Muscovado Mills in the Province of Antique”.
Through its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program Innovation System Support Fund (SET-UP ISSF), the assistance was turned over by DOST Regional Director Rowen R. Gelonga to the provincial government of Antique headed by Governor Salvacion Z. Perez.
The recipients, which are all members of the Antique Muscovado Producers Marketing Cooperative in the town of Patnungon, were provided with a total of P1.1 million funding assistance in the form of stainless steel settling tank with pump assembly and a stainless steel cooling trough.
The equipment, says DOST VI, will help the mills come up with sediment free muscovado sugar whose farm gate price starts at P35 compared to that of conventional muscovado at P18.
It was noted that muscovado sugar with sediment comes out as inferior in quality sediment of the insoluble solids that settle at the bottom of the cup when used as sweetener for beverages or mixed with other by-products such as pastries and confectioneries. These sediments, says Engr. Felipe Pachoco of DOST VI’s agricultural division, come from the bark of canes that are carried with the cane juice during crushing up to cooking.
Unlike the traditional processing wherein the cane juice are directly transferred from the crusher to the cooking vat, they have recommended the use of settling tanks where the juice will be pre-heated up to 85° to 90°C for 45 minutes, allowing the solid particles to settle at the bottom. The decanted juice will then be transferred to vats for cooking.
Engr. Pachoco said that the provision of stainless settling tanks significantly removes the small particles from the cane bark. These particles, he said, could not be removed by using a screen mesh sieve. The cooling trough, on one hand; provides more hygienic condition for the crystallization of cooked cane juice. A granulator was likewise provided to, the cooperative for use of its members.
The beneficiaries were also trained on the quality control, cleaner production technology, and good manufacturing practices. Part of the project is the establishment of a facility for package development and label design for muscovado according to market standards.
Starting in 2005, the DOST VI revealed that 16 sugar mills in Antique have already benefited from the project. The equipment that were provided to the beneficiaries are payable within three years without interest and the funds collected from the amortization will also be used for the upgrading of the next batch of muscovado mills until a critical mass of upgraded mills is attained.
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