Investors target sweet sorghum in Philippines

Four groups of foreign investors are keen on establishing ethanol plants in the Philippines using sweet sorghum as a feedstock, an industry official said. Potential ethanol investments from the four groups could reach up to US$160 million, says William Dar, director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, or ICRISAT. These investors, two of whom are from South Korea and Australia, are interested in building ethanol plants in northern Luzon, Dar said. With the help of ICRISAT, five varieties of sweet sorghum have already been tested in the Philippines, and adaptability of two of these varieties have already been proven under local conditions. These investors have taken interest in using sweet sorghum as a feedstock for ethanol, as it is more commercially viable compared to sugar cane, corn or cassava, he said. (January 9, 2007)