By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The House of Representatives-Committee on Agriculture is planning to visit Negros Occidental to check the situation of the sugar farmers and to discuss several issues hounding the industry.

Negros Occidental 6th district Congresswoman Mercedes Alvarez said they still do not have an exact date, but she affirmed that the visit would be led by Wilfrido Mark Enverga, chairperson of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food.

Alvarez said she supports the call of several sugar industry groups and leaders to conduct an investigation into sugar smuggling, and to hear their sentiments over the industry’s current situation.

Previously, several sugar groups — the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, Confederation of Sugar Producers Association, the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, and the Philippine Sugar Millers Association — have urged the House of Representatives and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to conduct a full-blown investigation into the blatant cases of sugar smuggling in the country.

Earlier this month, they said the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) should specify the volume of refined and raw sugar, based on assessment of market requirements, and the portion will go to the domestic market that will be earmarked for industrial and institutional consumers, with safeguards to ensure that the sugar goes to the intended markets.

They also called to lower the sugar importation volume. However, the SRA released Sugar Order No. 6 which allowed the importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar./DGB, WDJ