By CESAR JOLITO III

Labor and farmer groups in the sugar sector have raised concerns over the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) plan to export 100,000 metric tons of sugar to the United States, citing transparency issues and questioning whether the move will genuinely address the industry’s ongoing price slump.

In a press statement, the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Nacusip-TUCP) said the planned export comes at a critical time, as sugar farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries have been struggling with falling farmgate prices since the milling season began in October 2025.

Nacusip-TUCP President Roland de la Cruz pointed out that, as of this week, the SRA has yet to release a sugar order outlining the framework and guidelines for the export program.

“The absence of a publicly available sugar order raises serious questions on transparency and stakeholder participation in the decision-making process,” De la Cruz said, noting that the export volume involved is significant.

The group also questioned who would shoulder potential financial losses should global sugar prices fluctuate unfavorably during the export process.

De la Cruz asked whether government funds would be used to subsidize any losses and, if so, why similar resources could not instead be allocated to a government-financed domestic sugar buying program that stakeholders have long been advocating.

Nacusip-TUCP and its allied organizations raised several specific issues that they said remain unanswered, including whether the export program would involve an import replenishment scheme, and if so, at what ratio.

They also sought clarity on which organizations or consortia would be tasked to manage and oversee the export operations.

The group further questioned whether the export initiative represents a sustainable solution to the persistent decline in domestic sugar prices or merely a temporary measure that fails to address deeper structural problems in the industry.

Timing

Concerns were also raised over the timing of the announcement, which comes more than a week before a scheduled Congressional-Senate consultation on sugar industry issues set for January 23.

The groups asked why the export program was being pushed ahead of the consultation, and whether it was intended to project that sufficient action had already been taken.

Elisama Gregorio, chairperson of the Nacusip Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Council, said the delay in implementing any intervention had already taken a toll on farmers and beneficiaries.

“Sugar farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries have been struggling for months. Earlier action could have eased some of the hardships they are facing,” Gregorio said.

Gregorio also called on the Land Bank of the Philippines to declare a moratorium on penalties, interest and other charges on loans incurred by agrarian reform beneficiaries and their organizations, citing the difficulty of meeting loan obligations amid depressed sugar prices.

The labor and farmer groups urged the SRA and other concerned agencies to provide clear, timely and comprehensive information on the proposed export program, stressing that any policy response must be anchored on transparency, accountability and long-term solutions that protect farmers’ welfare and the national interest.

Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture announced its approval of SRA’s plan to export “in an effort to reduce domestic raw sugar supply, and help lift sagging farmgate prices.”

Appreciate

Meanwhile, in a press statement, Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr., president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc. (Confed), said the industry will most certainly appreciate any price improvement arising from this measure, following the government’s previously announced “import freeze.”

“We reiterate our position that this export program should not be accompanied by an automatic import replenishment program, and that any future importation to cover domestic shortfalls should be subject to clearly defined guidelines, particularly in terms of volume, timing, implementation mechanics, and stakeholder consultations,” Valderrama said.

It will be recalled that Confed submitted a proposed government buying program anchored on the government’s willingness to mitigate the effects of over-importation through appropriate policy measures.

“We remain firm in our resolve to seek both short-term solutions and a long-term institutional framework that will prevent the reoccurrence of the crisis we face today,” he added.

“We, along with our stakeholders, wish the government success in their announced undertaking, and we remain committed to helping ensure the sugar industry’s survival,” Valderrama said./CJ, WDJ