Stakeholders are divided on the government’s importation of additional 150,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar this year but all agree on the need to further stabilize the price and to boost the country’s stock of the commodity.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will pursue four new projects that will improve the local agri-fisheries sector with a total funding of P65.3 billion.
DA’s monitoring of public markets in the National Capital Region yesterday showed prevailing retail price of sugar ranges from P86 to P110 per kilogram for refined sugar, P80 to P90 per kg for washed sugar and P78 to P95 per kg for brown sugar.
Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) millsite monitoring showed composite price of raw sugar as of April 30 was 3,247.56 per 50 kg bag.
Butch Lozande, secretary general of the National Federation of Sugar Workers, said in a statement the group opposes this new round of sugar importation as the 440,000 MT of sugar earlier allowed to enter the Philippines has yet to arrive in full.
Lozande said the Department of Trade and Industry in partnership with the DA or SRA must set a price cap on the commodity.
Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, said the additional imports is necessary to pull down retail prices of sugar.
Lamata also said the move is “good for consumers” and will not cause “damage to farmers.”
He t did not elaborate.
Last Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also the concurrent DA secretary, approved the importation of 150,000 MT.
The 440,000 MT allowed to be imported under Sugar Order No. 6, s. 2022-2023, as well as the 64,050 MT under the minimum access volume mechanism, will not be able to cover the 3.1 MMT demand for the year.
SRA, in its forecast inventory, said the country will have a negative ending stock of 552,835 MT by the end of August. As of May 7, the country had sufficient supply of raw sugar with a stock of 160,000 MT.
Meanwhile, Arnel De Mesa, DA assistant secretary for operations, presented the four new major projects as part of the National Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month celebration last Monday.
DA said the programs are in partnership with international funding institutions such as the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The projects are Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA); Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency Project (FishCoRe); scaled-up Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP); and Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP).
APA has a project cost of P2.3 billion and aims to increase the resilience of agri stakeholders in areas vulnerable to climate change particularly in Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen.
FishCoRe targets to improve management of fishery resources and enhance the value of fisheries production in select fisheries management areas covering 24 provinces with P11.42 billion project cost.
The scale-up PRDP expands the coverage to 82 provinces nationwide with a total project cost of P45.01 billion and aims to improve farmers’ and fisherfolk access to markets and increase their incomes from agri-fishery value chains.
MIADP is a P6.63- billion project focusing on 26 ancestral domains in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to sustainably increase their agricultural productivity, resiliency and access to markets and services. Jed Macapagal
