By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A certification recently issued by Negros Del Norte Planters Association, Inc. Secretary Manuel Frederick Ko, who also serves on the Negros Occidental Provincial Board, announced the recent passage of a resolution declaring full support for Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri’s call for the Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to pursue “all out” efforts to elevate the domestic sugar industry.
The organization is looking to fully expand “Class B” domestic sugar for the current 2019-2020 crop year instead of the system set up by SRA Sugar Order No. 2, wherein “Class A” sugar, which is intended for export to the United States, comprises five percent of the total—they are seeking 100 percent for “Class B.”
SRA Board Member Emilio Yulo earlier explained, classifying sugar for domestic use could provide savings for local producers because of higher farmgate price, which was pegged at P1,500 per 50-kilogram bag (LKg) as compared to the US quota that saw prices surpassing P1,000 per LKg./DGB, WDJ