Sugar supply down 10%
MANILA, Philippines — Local raw-sugar production continued its decline, hitting 1.66 million metric tons (MT) at the start of the month, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said.
This is 10 percent lower than the 1.8 million MT recorded in the same period in 2017.
Sugar crop year starts every September and ends in August.
Based on data on sugar production for crop year 2017-2018, output in terms of 50-kilogram bags reached 33 million compared to 37 million a year before.
The country’s raw-sugar demand was also nine percent higher at 1.4 million MT.
The declining output prompted the SRA to cut down its exports to the world market and instead allocate more for domestic consumption.
The total sugarcanes milled during the period decreased by six percent to 19.1 million MT.
More mills started milling as of the end of February, reaching to 30 across Negros, Panay, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, where more than 85 percent came from Negros region particularly Victorias.
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