By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) has lashed out at the Sugar Council, as they claimed that there was no proposal to import additional sugar to address low millgate prices.
Unifed president Manuel Lamata responded to the Sugar Council’s recent statement in their opposition to another government intervention program where traders will purchase local sugar and be put on reserve, claiming that there is no importation, contrary to claims made by the group.
Lamata said they cannot wait and indulge the caprices of opposing sugar groups, which seem bent on dividing the sugar industry at the expense of sugar farmers who are waiting for the full implementation of the government intervention.
“This is in addition to the initial P5 billion buy-back local sugar scheme from the national government,” Lamata said.
The Sugar Council is composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers (Confed), the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) and the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Inc. (PanayFed).
He added that Unifed — along with the Asociacion de Agricultores de la Carlota y Pontevedra Inc. (AALCPI), the largest independent sugar planters group in the country; and the Luzon Federation of Sugar Producers Inc. (Luzonfed) — is in full support of the government intervention discussed with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head Pablo Luis Azcona.
The Unifed president said that they, including sugar planter Mike Hinojales, who handles one of the biggest sugar landholdings in the country, are thankful to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. who listened and answered their appeal to help farmers amidst declining sugar prices.
“I am stumped as to why these other federations, called the ‘student council,’ do not want sugar prices to go up? What gives? Have they become traders or are working for traders? They are trying to come up with delaying tactics which will result in a longer waiting game for our already suffering sugar farmers,” Lamata said, referring to the Sugar Council that “shunned” the meeting called for by SRA in Bacolod City last January 25.
They instead sent representatives with the advice not to present any position on behalf of their federations, the reason being the wording of the invitation.
“If they were really interested in the government programs for the benefit of the farmers, they could have clarified the invitation, but they didn’t,” Lamata said.
“They even refused to send letters asking the President to increase the PITC’s [Philippine International Trading Corporation] budget for buying local sugar from P5 billion to P12 billion, which was previously discussed and formally agreed upon in front of Secretary Laurel and [Administrator] Azcona last month. Why refuse? You don’t want to help your farmers?” he added.
Lamata is referring to Confed president Aurelio Valderrama’s letter to the SRA, stating that the submission of a request to increase the government intervention budget is moot and academic.
“After all, it was Confed that authored the P12 billion proposal presented by the Sugar Council to Secretary Laurel on January 9,” Lamata said.
“Sadly, their action speaks of arrogance to say the least, and I hope their member-planters realize what these so-called leaders are doing at their expense. Our farmers, on the other hand, cannot wait any longer, and we hope and pray that the government will fast track the implementation of this intervention, so we will no longer suffer the declining price of sugar,” he added.
In separate statements, AALCPI president Roberto Cuenca, LuzonFed’s board led by president Cornelio Toreja, and Hinojales endorsed the proposed draft of a sugar order discussed during the SRA meeting, requesting to allocate between 20 and 30 percent of quedans issued prior to the effectivity of the program so that farmers can enjoy the benefits of the Sugar Order.
The proposal covers the limited volume purchase of locally-produced sugar for reclassification to reserve sugar to avail of allocation for the next import program.
It intends to uplift farmgate prices to a better and stable level while ensuring optimal retail prices.
“While we all see hope in this, these clearly pink-minded leaders only see red and are just finding reasons to oppose the current administration in whatever way they can,” Lamata added.
Earlier, the Sugar Council expressed concern over a proposal allowing traders to import additional sugar.
The council’s objection stemmed from an understanding among sugarcane farmers that over-importation causes low millgate prices.
The Sugar Council, in their letter to Azcona, stated that the proposed trading program is “inopportune.”
It added that the prevailing perception of farmers that millgate prices have dropped because of over-importation and predatory pricing puts into serious question any program that suggests even more trader intervention and importation.
“To insist on it would be adding insult to injury,” the Sugar Council said.
Valderrama said they expressed an unequivocal objection to more sugar importation.
He pointed out to the SRA that alternatives to the proposal have been on the table since early this year.
PanayFed president Danilo Abelita said they know very well that over-importation got the sugar industry into the “mess” they are in today, and agreeing to more importation is “suicidal.”
NFSP president Enrique Rojas also questioned the SRA as to why they cast aside the plan for government intervention.
Rojas argued that the SRA should “not change horses midstream,” adding that harvesting is almost done in many areas./DGB, WDJ