• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has suggested the direct sale of sugar to consumers as over importation is being blamed for the drop in millgate prices of sugar.
Benitez, who attended the public consultation on the decrease in sugar prices and its adverse effects on the farmers in Talisay City on Jan. 23, said that all produced sugars are actually being sold to traders.
“It’s like sleeping with the enemy. These traders are actually middlemen who take a big chunk of the profits,” he added.
Benitez said he found out that 65 percent of the sugar buyers in the country are industrial users composed of 50 companies.
“Why don’t we go directly to consumers or buyers?” the lawmaker asked, adding that he already discussed it with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and with some planters’ associations.
Benitez suggested to the joint committees on agriculture of both the Senate and House of Representatives to set a hearing and invite all industrial users, farmers, and millers to find a middle ground to deal directly with each other thereby, eliminating the traders.
Sharing the observation of Benitez, Senator Francis Pangilinan, who jointly presided the public consultation with Quezon First District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, said “it’s not so much of eliminating the middlemen.” “You have still 35 percent where traders can transact. We are just looking at a better balance in terms of relationship between farmers, producers, planters, and the market,” Pangilinan said.
“May papel pa rin sila (they have still a role to play) except, we are looking for an improved supply chain delivery from producers to consumers,” he added.
Pangilinan and Enverga also called on the Department of Health to look into the unabated entry of artificial sweeteners into the country to determine their effects on the health of the Filipino people.
Enverga said there have been several findings in the United States on the dangers of artificial sweeteners.
Noting that SRA has no authority to act on the entry of artificial sweeteners in the country, Pangilinan said the Senate will look into whether they can legislate the entry of artificial sweeteners. | GB
