Independent survey to determine need to import more sugar

MANILA, Philippines — Newly appointed Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) acting administrator and CEO Pablo Azcona plans to commission an independent survey of all sugar mills to determine the actual stocks of sugar nationwide and then decide whether or not there is a need to import.

“The first thing I will do at the SRA, we will have an independent survey of all sugar mills to determine the ending stocks after the milling season, then we will not have enough or surplus in the supply or if we have a deficiency, how much is the deficit,” Azcona said.

Malacañang announced Azcona’s appointment last Friday, but he intends tp decide quickly if the country needs to import more sugar.

He said the SRA has already conducted its regular inventory on the country’s sugar supply, but an independent surveyor will be commissioned to verify the data.

“Nationwide, we have about 26 sugar mills, we will check them. From there, we can verify if our projection of 1.831 MMT is correct. I want that to be verified,” he said.

Azcona, a former farmers’ representative to the SRA Board, said that with local production and the 440,000 metric tons of imported sugar in stock, the country targets to ensure enough supply until December.

“The milling season will start in September, so hopefully, our stocks will last until that time. Otherwise, our immediate solution will be importation,” he explained.

Azcona expressed confidence that the sale of seized smuggled sugar at the Kadiwa outlets at P70 per kilo and the imposition of a suggested retail price of P85 per kilo will bring down the prices of the sweetener.

“If we mix the local and imported, we hope that the retail cost will go down,” said the new SRA chief. “But our problem is the retail selling. The SRA has no control over the traders. We will coordinate with agencies related just to make sure the prices will not be abused.”

The flooding of imported sugar, though, has failed to bring down the prices of the sweeteners contrary to the earlier statement of the Department of Agriculture that the importation will help temper the cost.