BACOLOD CITY: The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) on Tuesday reversed its earlier support for the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and the Department of Agriculture’s statement that no sugar imports would occur until the end of the next harvest, reports DailyGuardian.
NFSP President Enrique D. Rojas expressed disappointment upon learning that the SRA had already imported 135,833 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar under Sugar Order No. 5, Series of 2023-2024, despite initial assurances of no additional imports. He added that another 104,167 MT could still be imported under the same order, which allowed a total of 240,000 MT.
“Like all sugarcane farmers, we were initially happy that no additional imported sugar would enter the country, but we did not know that SRA had already brought in imported refined sugar,” Rojas said in a press statement.
He criticized the SRA for a lack of transparency, particularly as excessive sugar imports, like those in the previous crop year, often drive down domestic sugar prices. “The surplus from last crop year continues to depress sugar prices in the current year,” he said.
