Phl gains additional sugar allocation

MANILA, Philippines -  The Philippines has been given an additional sugar quota allocation of 60,000 metric tons by the US.

This was announced yesterday by Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head Gina Bautista-Martin.

According to Martin, “the Philippines was allocated an additional sugar quota of 60,000 MTRV by the US on top of the 142,160 MTRV regular quota.”

The Philippines’ additional allocation, Martin said, places the country second to Brazil in terms of quota allocation.

The Philippines is expected to be able to fill the additional US sugar quota allocation with an expected production of 1.98 MMT.

Meanwhile, Martin was in Davao City last week to inspect the loading of 14,689 MT sugar by MV Privlaka at Tefasco Pier to complete the 25,000 MT boatload shipped to the US by the country’s leading sugar exporters like Ed & F Man, Sucden Phils., Oro Allado, All Asian Countertrade and Delmax. 

Earlier this month, MV Privlaka was in Pulupandan port loading 10,311 MT of sugar and left the country last May 4. 

This is the third to the last shipment in order to fully subscribe the regular quota. 

A fourth boat is in Cagayan de Oro City loading up another 30,000 MT of sugar.

The SRA and the sugar industry is fast tracking the processing and shipment of the additional quota since actual sugar production as of May 1, 2011 may suffice for this crop year’s demand. 

Twenty three sugar mills are still operating out of the 29 mills in the country.

Administrator Martin also noted that the sugarcane industry is one of the major contributors to the increase in the growth rate of the agriculture sector during the first quarter of this year.