BACOLOD City – The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) has endorsed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) plan to import refined sugar to address the anticipated shortage before the harvest season in September.
According to UNIFED president Manuel Lamata, their decision is in response to expected delays in this year’s sugar harvest due to the El Niño phenomenon.
Lamata explained that the sugar industry had been consulted on the planned importation and supports the proposal to ensure a steady sugar supply.
Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Azcona detailed the program under Sugar Order (SO) No. 2, which involves the pre-qualification of potential importers who are required to purchase local farmer-produced sugar first.
The order boosts the farmgate price of raw sugar to between P2,700 and P2,800 per bag, which would also help stabilize the retail prices of refined sugar, ranging from P73 to P100 per kilogram.
According to Azcona, the approved import volume is nearly 200,000 tons of refined sugar, a plan that was set into motion in January and formally signed on March 8, 2024.
“We have pre-qualified and pre-allocated import volumes based on actual support for local farmers,” Azcona said.
He emphasized that an import activation plan would be implemented if stock levels fall to a critical point, ensuring stable supply and pricing for both retail and industrial consumers without adversely affecting local farmers.
Azcona also noted the broader implications for the approximately five million farmers, farm workers, and their dependents in the sugarcane industry, who are also consumers. He revealed plans for a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in early July to review stock levels and determine the necessity of activating the import plan./PN
