Over 1.8 MT of sugar allotted for domestic use
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) plans to allot the whole country’s sugar production for the crop year 2022-2023 for domestic consumption.
Over 1.8 million metric tons of sugar would be made accessible to the market, according to Sugar Order (SO) 1, which President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also signed as concurrent Agriculture chief and SRA board chairwoman on Tuesday.
“Sugar production for Crop Year 2022-2023 is expected to be 1,876,135.36 metric tons and shall be quedanned by the mill companies, as implementers of this Sugar Order, in the following percentage: ‘B’ or Domestic Sugar Market- 100 percent,” it said.
The cropping season begins on September 1, 2022, and ends on August 31, 2023, with sugar allocation categories A for US quota, B for domestic market use, C for reserve, and D for worldwide market.
However, the SRA said that modifications might be made in light of the production evaluation, as specified in Section 3.
“The 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,” it said.
The SO1 also reiterated that all unused quedan-permit forms shall be “shredded and not allowed for use” for the said crop year, as well as the succeeding years.
Meanwhile, signatories included Marcos, as well as Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, Acting SRA Director David Thaddeus Alba, and Acting Board Member-Millers’ Representative Ma. Acting Board Member-Planters’ Representative Pablo Luis Azcona and Mitzi Mangwag
Previously, the issuing of the rescinded SO4 became contentious when Marcos refused to authorize the alleged importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar, which was later pronounced “illegal.”
Following the sugar incident, the order’s signatories resigned, and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee tried to initiate administrative complaints against DA Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, former SRA chief Hermenegildo Serafica, SRA Board Member Roland Beltran, and SRA Board Member Aurelio Valderrama Jr.
