• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters has urged the Sugar Regulatory Administration to explain why sugar prices continue to drop despite its “no importation” declaration.
While sugarcane farmers were initially happy that no additional imported sugar would enter the country, we did not know that SRA had already brought in imported refined sugar, according to NFSP president Enrique Rojas.
In a statement, Rojas claimed that the SRA had not been totally candid in its statement because it did not mention that it had already brought in 135,833 metric tons imported refined sugar, with the balance of another 104,167MT possibly coming in, under Sugar Order No. 5 Series of 2023-2024 which authorized the importation of 240,000MT refined sugar.
“Sugar farmers know that sugar importation, particularly excessive importation like what happened in Crop Year 2023-2024, brings domestic sugar prices down. This excessive importation brought down sugar prices last crop year, and continues to affect sugar prices in the current crop year because of the large carryover stocks,” he pointed out.
SRA’s Sugar Supply and Demand Situation Report shows Crop Year 2024-2025 started with a beginning balance of 270,295 metric tons of raw sugar, and 230,287MT locally produced and 77,692MT imported refined sugar.
“Despite the statement there would be no importation, and although sugar production is low compared to last crop year, demand for sugar and, consequently, sugar prices, continue to drop because there is a large carryover stock from last crop year, made even larger by the 240,000MT importation under Sugar Order No. 5,” Rojas lamented.
He reported a drop in the price of sugar by P164 per bag in the past three weeks at the Hawaiian sugar mill, from P2,980.88 for WE (Week Ending) October 24 to P2,815.99 on WE November 15.
On the other hand, the First Farmers mill reported a price drop of P 173.98 per bag, while prices at Victorias Milling Company, Lopez Sugar Corporation, Sagay Central Inc., SONEDCO, La Carlota, and BISCOM sugar mills also dropped by P110 to P135 per bag for the same three-week period, Rojas said.
“Sugar farmers deserve an explanation. It is incumbent upon SRA, as the government authority on sugar, to give such (an) explanation,” he stressed.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Monday strongly disputed claims there is an oversupply of sugar, which is being blamed for the drop in sugar prices, and slammed critics for propagating lies.
In a statement, Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said that “sugar stock levels have been constant in the past couple of months” and “claims from certain groups that there is an oversupply of sugar that purportedly caused a drop in sugar prices is laced with malice, unless it is their goal to announce oversupply to purposely try and lower prices.”*
