By CESAR JOLITO III
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has ruled out any plans to import sugar until at least mid-2026, emphasizing that the local supply and production remain stable despite concerns raised by sugar planters’ groups.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona made the assurance in response to the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), which earlier expressed alarm over what it described as “excessive sugar importation” under Sugar Order No. 8.
“We are already in the new milling season, and importation only happens after milling — the last being July. There will be absolutely no talks of sugar importation until May or June 2026, when we already have concrete production numbers,” Azcona said.
He added that both he and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. have agreed to freeze discussions on new import orders unless there is an urgent need to address a supply gap.
Oversupply risk
NFSP President Enrique Rojas earlier said that while planters had agreed to the initial importation of 150,000 metric tons, the actual volume imported as of September 14 had already exceeded that amount.
“With a huge projected stock balance and the excessive importation under Sugar Order No. 8, sugar prices will suffer in the early months of the milling season,” Rojas warned.
Azcona countered that all importations under his administration have been “consultative, calibrated and objectively allocated” based on industry performance.
“Real farmers know that any talk of importation brings speculation and lowers the farmer’s sugar price, so we do not do it during the milling season,” he said, adding that statements suggesting otherwise could destabilize the industry.
He noted that since President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. took office, both farmgate and retail prices of sugar have remained stable.
Planted areas, which had dropped from 420,000 hectares to 380,000 hectares in 2022, have also rebounded to 403,000 hectares in 2025 — a sign of renewed farmer confidence, he said.
“That is a clear indicator of stable and favorable farmer prices. Farmers are choosing to plant more sugarcane, and we must be careful not to undermine that progress,” Azcona stressed.
The SRA reiterated that maintaining industry stability and protecting farmer incomes remain its top priorities.
Any future decision on importation, Azcona said, will be data-driven and based on actual supply and demand conditions after the milling season ends next year./CJ, WDJ