Bacolod City – Amid lack of sugar supply in the local market, the Sugar Regulatory Administration has earmarked more than 1.8 million metric tons of the entire sugar production for crop year 2022-2023 in the country for domestic use.
As stipulated in Sugar Order Number 1, released on September 13 by SRA, the total raw sugar production for crop year 2022-2023, estimated at 1,876, 135.36 metric tons, will be made available to the local market.
The SRA order states that while the total raw sugar production for crop year 2022-2023 is expected at 1,876,135.36 MT, the total domestic raw sugar withdrawal for that year is also estimated at 2,030,750 MT.
SRA said that adjustments may be made with consideration of the production assessment, as indicated in Section 3 of the sugar order.
Section 3 of SO 1 states that “SRA shall undertake assessment of the Crop Year 2022-2023 sugar production and withdrawals trend. On the basis of such assessment, SRA may from time to time adjust the percentage allocation or distribution to other classes of sugar.”
Malacañang earlier confirmed a proposal to import 150,000 metric tons of sugar to address a supply problem that is threatening to increase the prices of food products.
The SO 1 order, dated August 26, which was released on Sept. 13, was signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the Agriculture secretary and SRA board chairperson, Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, Acting SRA administrator David John Thaddeus Alba, acting board members Ma. Mitzi Mangwag and Pablo Luis Azcona. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of Sugar supplier of Negros Facebook page)