Philippine ethanol producers seek molasses imports to battle rising feedstock costs

In the Philippines, the Sun Star newspaper reports that ethanol producers are seeking permission to import molasses for feedstock due to the high prices of domestic molasses supplies. El Niño is expected to boost sugarcane yields for the next crop but this season was poor, leaving less molasses availability that has pushed up prices beyond what’s viable for the cost of production. The country has an E10 policy but only a fraction of that is supplied by domestic production due to high feedstock prices.