• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The 10 lawmakers in Negros Island Region urged the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to immediately address and issue a transparent and data-based explanation on the sharp the decline in sugar prices.
Recent reports show the millgate price for sugar has plunged to about P2,200 per 50-kilogram bag, a level nearly P300 below the estimated production cost, the legislators said in a joint statement on Tuesday (Oct. 14).
“Industry leaders warn that if unchecked, such price collapse could worsen poverty in rural sugar districts, where more than 60 percent of households depend on sugarcane, as either principal or supplementary income,” they added.
Negros lawmakers said they want the SRA to explain the reasons behind the sudden price collapse, including the effects of recent importation, pest infestations, and shifts in market demand.
They also called on relevant agencies and stakeholders to act with urgency and accountability to cushion the blow of collapsing sugar prices and restore stability to the industry.
“Negros Occidental remains the country’s top sugar producing province, accounting for nearly half of total national output. The decline in prices could ripple through thousands of families dependent on the crop for income and employment,” they further said.
The 10 Negros Island lawmakers included Negros Occidental representatives Julio Ledesma IV, Alfredo Marañon III, Javier Miguel Benitez, Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Jeffrey Ferrer, Emilio Bernardino Yulo III and Mercedes Alvarez as well as Negros Oriental representatives Emmanuel Iway, Maisa Sagarbarria, and Janice Degamo. | GB
