The entire sugar production for crop year 2022-2023 in the country has been earmarked for domestic use, amid the lack of supply in the local market.
The Sugar Regulatory Board issued Sugar Order No. 1, assigning the total raw sugar production for crop year 2022-2023, estimated at 1,876,135.36 metric tons, be made available to the local market.
The SRA order states that while total raw sugar production for crop year 2022-2023 is expected at 1,876,135.36MT, the total domestic raw sugar withdrawal for the same crop year is also estimated at 2,030,750MT.
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 SRA said that adjustments may be made with consideration to 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.
The Sugar Order, dated Aug. 26, and released Sept. 13, was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is the Agriculture secretary and SRA board chairperson, Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, acting SRA administrator David John Thaddeus Alba, and acting board members Ma. Mitzi Mangwag and Pablo Luis Azcona./GB
