The Department of Agriculture (DA) will proceed with its plan to import 200,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar.
The DA said it has obtained legal opinion that Sugar Order 3 (SO3) can be implemented in other parts of the country except for Negros Occidental where the order is slapped with an injunction.
“We are making our due diligence and (we have) consulted various instrumentalities of the government… The inclination and suggestion of our agencies giving legal opinion is we can use Sugar Order 3 to move forward, outside those areas where the TRO (temporary restraining orders) were filed,” said DA Secretary William Dar, at the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday.
Dar added the additional supply should have arrived as early as last month.
Dar said the DA stands by with its projections on, and justifications for, sugar importation despite opposition from lawmakers and the sugar industry.
The SRA said low sugar production and early milling justify the need to import to address demand for June to August.
Under SO3, about 100,000 MT of sugar will be for standard grade refined sugar while the rest will be for bottler’s grade refined sugar.
Hermenegildo Serafica, SRA administrator, had said sugar production is lower due to the onslaught of typhoons such as Odette, excessive rain and reduced sunlight due to the La Nina.
Serafica added due to higher sugar prices, farmers rush to mill their canes while prices are up even though these canes are not yet fully mature, resulting in less tonnage and sugar content.
Sugar stakeholders decried importation would only benefit industrial users.
