The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) may lower its earlier projection of 1.85 million metric tons (MT) local production for crop year 2023-2024 to 1.75 million MT due to El Niño.
Pablo Azcona, SRA administrator, told reporters in a briefing on Monday reiterated El Niño may pull down sugar output by 10 to 15 percent.
“Doing a review, we noted a drop. The estimate will come out soon but based on preliminary estimates and of millers, it (is) down to about 1.75 million MT,” Azcona said.
The SRA added millers were asked to check their individual milling districts and verify the remaining volume of sugarcane standing crops especially that the 1 million MT milling mark was achieved last January 15.
He said milling may be over soon with some districts with estimated production of 390,000 MT of sugar have hit 312,000 MT .
The SRA saw increased production from September 1 to December 31 last year but it was due to ease of harvest and not because of improved yield per hectare.
Last October, the United States Department of Agriculture lowered its projected raw sugar production in the Philippines for the current crop year by 5 percent to 1.8 million MT from an earlier forecast of 1.9 million MT.
Actual sugar production in the Philippines in the previous crop year was at 1.79 million MT.
