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After import order, SRA conducts sugar inventory

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• GILBERT P. BAYORAN

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) yesterday said that it is now in the process of collating figures from sugar mills to determine the actual volume of sugar that needs to be procured from outside by the end of this month.

This comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to ensure that the final import volume must be based on latest supply report, with a provision that it should not be more than 150,000 metric tons.

This will include the additional buffer volume of 100,000 metric tons, especially if we consider delaying the opening of mills to September instead of August, to increase productivity, SRA acting chief Pablo Luis Azcona said in a statement.

Azcona assured sugar stakeholders that they will carefully study supply condition before pegging the final figure.

He blamed the big drop in refined sugar production for this crop year, partly due to shortened refining operations, because of lack of bagasse that fuels the mills, caused by massive rains, particularly in Negros Island, which provides more than half of country’s sugar production.

In a statement, the National Federation of Sugarcane Producers (NFSP) welcomed the announcement of SRA to seriously studying the sugar supply and demand figures before coming up with the final volume for importation.

NFSP, however, urged SRA to involve stakeholders in the evaluation process and share the sugar statistics which they claim that they are studying.

It added that sugar producers will appreciate very much if SRA can be more consultative and transparent in the decision-making process on this sensitive concern on additional importation.

As of May 7, Azcona reported that only 11 of 24 sugar mills are still in operation, with many about to close by the end May, due to the fact that they opened in August.

He also said that the sudden closure of the Central Azucarera de Don Pedro affected the local supply.

While the actual production in the same period showed 1,760,840 metric tons, Azcona said they are looking at another 20,000 metric tons from remaining mills that are still in operation. He added that the total is way below the forecasted demand of 2.2 million metric tons.

SRA is also scheduling consultations with various stakeholders, during preparations for the next milling season, to improve productivity towards self-sufficiency.

Azcona said that they are strongly considering delaying the opening of the milling season, as part of the solution.*

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