Sugar production has hit 1.8 million metric tons (MT) as of June 15, likely the total output for the crop year 2021-2022 ending August, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said.
The expected ending volume for the crop year is lower by 16 percent than the country’s 2.14 million MT production for crop year 2020-2021. and by 12 percent than the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) projection of 2.05 million MT.
Hermenegildo Serafica, SRA’s administrator, said in a Circular Letter No. 28 series of 2022, the output was recorded before the end of milling season and could be the final output for the crop year.
“The unusual decline in sugar production was explicitly observed in Negros from March 2022 to May 2022 production data. The aberrant decline during these months was due to the residual effect on the damaged leaves of sugarcane from wind-stressed leaves caused by strong winds during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Odette. The disruption of the photosynthetic activity and the fewer functional leaves translates to the residual effect on tonnage accumulation of canes milled during the said months,” Serafica said.
The SRA said unfavorable weather condition brought by La Niña also adversely affected the maturity condition of late milling canes which greatly influenced cane maturity. This resulted in lower sugar recovery for canes milled last April onwards.
“In contrast, the country also experienced an almost similar production output of 1.9 million MT in crop year 2009-2010, when the country was affected by the hot and dry weather conditions brought about by the El Niño weather phenomenon,” Serafica said.
SRA’s millsite monitoring showed composite price of raw sugar as of June 5 was at P2,342 per 50 kg bag compared to May 29’s P2,286.60 per 50 kg bag, an increase of over 2 percent.
Last April, the USDA projected that the Philippines’ sugar production for crop year 2022-2023 will be at 2 million MT due to lower fertilizer usage because of rising prices of inputs.
However, the said projection of the USDA may soon be updated as the agency’s observations then was Philippine sugar production for crop year 2021-2022 may still hit 2.05 million MT even accounting the effects of typhoon Odette.
DA’s monitoring of 13 public markets in the National Capital Region as of Friday showed the prevailing retail prices of sugar products compared to last month were all unchanged.
Refined sugar remains at P70 per kg while both washed and brown sugar are at P60 per kg.
