• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Sugar Council and the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (Nacusip) dismissed as “misleading” the reported drop in sugar production by 96 percent in the first three weeks of milling, based on the data of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
In a joint statement, they stressed that the early figures do not provide enough basis for making conclusions about the new crop.
Sugar output recorded in the first three weeks of the milling season this year has dropped by 96 percent compared to 2023, SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona said last week.
The milling season started on Sept. 15 and so far, only 5,645 tons of sugar have been produced.
The figure is lower than the 134,780 tons recorded during the same period last year, Azcona said in a press briefing.
Azcona said that several sugar mills and organizations have expressed readiness to mill, but only a few tons of sugarcane have been brought in for milling.
The Sugar Council, composed of three sugar federations, said that comparing the two separate periods can be misleading.
Records show that a total of nine sugar centrals were already milling in September 2023, and produced a total of 61,285 metric tons.
In comparison, only one sugar mill operated in September this year, which produced 5,645 metric tons of sugar, or 90 percent lower output compared to the same period last year, they said.
Admitting that the milling of the new crop was off to a slow start, they said that the delay is most likely caused by the long dry season that hit Negros this year.
The Sugar Council and Nacusip said that the SRA report might have created the impression that sugar production will drop precipitously, justifying more importation to prematurely cover a projected shortage. | GB
