• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
With higher production and adequate sugar supply, even beyond the start of the next crop year, the Philippine Sugar Millers’ Association, Inc. (PSMAI) disclosed on Tuesday that as of this time, there is no need to import sugar.
PSMAI executive director Atty. Jesus Barrera revealed that raw sugar production has reached 1.921 million tons, exceeding last year’s 1.799 million tons, while refined sugar production also went up to 687,823 tons from 624,389 tons last season, citing records of the Sugar Regulatory Administration, as of May 12.
In a statement, Barrera also reported that inventory levels have also risen significantly, with 26 percent increase in raw sugar and 35 percent increase in refined sugar compared to previous year’s inventory levels, totaling to a raw equivalent of 1.150 million tons.
Also included in the inventory, he added, is the 135,675 tons of imported refined sugar that were brought in last year that are still unwithdrawn and unused.
Barrera also noted that withdrawals or demand of domestic raw sugar and local refined sugar decreased by 4.23 percent and 7.20 percent, respectively, while withdrawals of imported refined sugar have risen by 16 percent.
“Even with sugar milling already closed for the season, we are confident that our current sugar inventories will last beyond the start of the next crop year which is estimated to be on October 1 this year, ” he added.
Barrera, however, said they will continue monitoring the impact of El Niño on the supply levels in the upcoming 2024-2025 harvest.
The Sugar Council, composed of National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. and Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Inc. earlier lauded the stand of Senator Imee Marcos for her stand against sugar importation
“We should not automatically resort to importation; as long as we can, we should first strengthen and support our local farmers. In the midst of last year’s importations, retail sugar prices spiked up to P136/kilo. Even with importation, retail prices didn’t go down; this is not right,” Sen. Marcos pointed out.
Citing reports that warehouses are still full of sugar from last year’s importation, the lady senator asserted that the country should first consume local sugar production, and then exhaust the remaining imported sugar, before resorting to any importation.*
