The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has allotted P7 million to update the study on the consumption of sugar in the country, an initiative greenlighted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) through its Standards Service.
“It’s an SRA-initiated study to update the last data done in 2016 yet,” Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said in a statement released to the media March 12.
He said the survey results will “also help SRA and other related-agencies in formulating basis for future policies.”
The PSA said it has granted clearance for the conduct of the “Updating the Consumption Study of Sugar in the Philippines”, to be implemented by the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute.
The survey, which will cover 2,760 households and 660 establishments, seeks to generate a profile of the total consumption of various sweeteners in the domestic market.
Data collection is scheduled this month, with survey results expected to be released in May this year.
The PSA said the results will serve as inputs in determining the classification of the type of consumers – households, business establishments, industrial users – for each type of sweetener; identification of households’ preference for sugar whether domestically-produced or imported; and determination of the price level – price point or price range – at which households are willing to shift from one sugar type to another.
“Overall, the findings from the survey will serve as basis in determining the optimal volume of imported sweeteners in the market and will assist in crafting policies related to the expansion of the market of locally-produced sugar,” the PSA said.
It also “strongly encouraged” all sampled households and establishments to actively participate in the research study by providing accurate and truthful information for market trends and industry growth. | PNA
