• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Amidst the spiraling downtrend of sugar prices in the past several weeks, sugar industry stakeholders have sought the intervention of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED), in a letter to the President, disclosed that small farmers are already hard-pressed to make ends meet, as the price of sugar has now breached the break-even point of survival.
Lamata said that the year 2025 has been difficult for the sugar industry, which has been plagued by pest infestations and disastrous calamities that have destroyed sugar fields and claimed lives.
The Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. also suggested to the Department of Agriculture and SRA to ask for the intervention of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to address the present sugar crisis.
In an open letter to all sugar stakeholders, CONFED said it earlier warned of a brewing storm ahead of the new milling season, citing the oversupply of imported refined sugar, unchecked molasses importation, and unregulated entry of sugar substitutes, that may result in a millgate price crash.
CONFED also suggested a moratorium on further imports until the end of milling, with volumes and arrival schedules subject to consultation with stakeholders.
It also called on DA/SRA and political leaders to work in concert with the industry, on urgent, as well as long term solutions.
Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo urged all sugar stakeholders “to stop bickering and help address the situation.”
Yulo called on SRA to instead “institute immediate measures to arrest the downward trend.”
He asked that sugar farmers be given reprieve as “our small farmers have suffered more than enough from the calamities, the pest infestations, to very low prices and with the way things have been going in the past weeks, they can barely make ends meet.”
Yulo said most of the bickering is coming from the millers and big planters, many of whom can actually afford to wait it out till prices improve.
“However, our small farmers don’t have that luxury and it is incumbent upon all stakeholders of the sugar industry to take a look into their state and help each other out instead of debating with each other,” the solon added.
Yulo also said there have been groups calling out policy makers to conduct investigations.
“But putting this in the hands of the policy makers will take longer as they are fond of debating issues,” he stressed.
At this point, we cannot afford to wait for their action or inaction. We don’t want cause analysis, we need immediate results and the end game is simple – Stop the downward spiral of sugar prices.” All we are asking is to allow our small planters to also have a merry Christmas, Yulo said.*
