• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led the mayors in the province in calling on sugar groups and federations as well as industry leaders to agree on a unified position amid the plummeting sugar millgate prices.
“As the country’s sugar capital and as a province whose economy is significantly anchored on the strength and stability of the sugar industry, it is vital that we present a single and cohesive stand before elevating our concerns to the national government,” Lacson, who is also a sugar planter, said in a statement.
The governor made the appeal as stakeholders sought the help of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address the downtrend of sugar prices in the past several weeks.
Millgate prices for raw sugar as of first week of December were averaging only P2,100 to P2,200 per 50-kilo (LKg) bag compared to P3,000 to P3,700 in the previous years.
The P2,100 price point is a level that sugar producers in the past have considered below break-even, prompting calls for government intervention.
“Together, let us act with firm determination to safeguard the livelihood of our farmers, workers and communities,” Lacson said.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo urged all sugar stakeholders “to stop bickering and help address the situation.”
He also called on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to “institute immediate measures to arrest the downward trend.”
Yulo noted that most of the bickering comes from the millers and big planters, many of whom can actually afford to wait it out till prices improve. | GB
