The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) has requested the Department of Agriculture (DA) to investigate the “alarming” volume of other sugars that probably caused the stagnant demand for the commodity in the past decade.
“This volume of sugar premixes [represents] about four million bags of sugar, amounting to roughly P10 billion,” Unifed president Manuel Lamata said during a consultative meeting with other sugar stakeholders on Tuesday, August 6.
Reports of unregulated entry of premixes have been noted in staggering quantities in the last eight years.
“The continued lack of regulation for these sugar-based products is highly detrimental to the sugar industry,” Lamata said.
He added that Unifed has received reports that supplies of other sugars are coming in staggering amounts.
The demand for sugar has remained constant in the last 10 years, despite the growth of the population.
“If this is not addressed, then the sugar industry will be paying a hefty price, along with the five million Filipinos dependent on the industry,” Lamata said.
The DA has ordered the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to look into the actual volumes of other sugars entering the country and, “if warranted, require them to acquire clearances as well.”
The volume has reportedly reached about 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons per year.
Under the tariff code of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature, only high fructose corn syrup is strictly regulated.
The sugar industry demanded that products using high fructose corn syrup must be taxed higher after a slump in sugar demand some eight years ago.
Other sugars, such as glucose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, maltodextrin, and lactose, among others, are not being regulated.
“We hope that [SRA] Administrator [Pablo Luis] Azcona will make this a priority and can provide us [with] updates before the next milling season starts,” Lamata said.
The stakeholders’ consultation was attended by members of the SRA Board, representatives from the Philippine Sugar Millers Association, Unifed, Luzon Federation, and the Mindanao Sugar Federation./WDJ