• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As over-importation is being blamed for the drop in mill gate prices of sugar, Bacolod Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has suggested the direct sale of sugar to consumers.
Benitez, who attended the public consultation on the decrease in sugar prices and its adverse effects on sugar farmers on January 23 in Talisay City, noted that all the produced sugar is actually being sold to traders.
“It’s like sleeping with the enemy. These traders are actually middlemen, who take a big chunk of the profits,” the Bacolod solon said.
Benitez said he found out that 65 percent of the sugar buyers in the country are industrial users, composed of 50 companies.
Why don’t we go directly to consumers, or buyers? the solon asked, adding that he already discussed the issue with the Sugar Regulatory Administration and some planters associations.
Benitez suggested to the joint committees on Agriculture of both the Senate and House of Representatives to come up with a hearing, invite all industrial users, farmers, and millers, to find a middle ground to deal directly with each other, thereby, eliminating the traders.
Sharing the observation of Benitez, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who jointly presided over the public consultation with Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, which was attended by sugar stakeholders, said “it’s not so much about eliminating the middlemen.” You still have 35 percent where traders can transact. We are just looking for a better balance, in terms of relationship, between farmers, producers, planters and the market,” Pangilinan said.
“May papel pa rin sila (they still have a role to play), except, we are looking for an improved supply chain delivery from producers to consumers,” he stressed.
Sugar farmers claim that the drop in mill gate prices of locally-produced raw sugar is a direct result of over-importation of refined sugar, as well as the increasing use of sugar substitutes, and the decrease in molasses prices is a direct result of unregulated molasses imports.
Pangilinan and Enverga also called on the Department of Health to look into the unabated entry of artificial sweeteners into the country, to determine their effects on the health of the Filipino people.
Enverga disclosed that there have been several findings in the United States on the dangers of artificial sweeteners.
Noting that SRA has no authority to act on the entry of artificial sweeteners in the country, Pangilinan said the Senate will look into whether they can legislate the entry of artificial sweeteners.*
