By CESAR JOLITO III
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has intensified its efforts to clear pending farm support for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and sugar farmers in Negros Occidental, as the agency targets “zero backlog” under the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA) program.
“Our target is zero backlog. We are committed to ensuring that all pending equipment reaches the intended beneficiaries,” SRA Board Member David Andrew Sanson said, emphasizing the importance of fully utilizing the support to boost agricultural output.
Sanson represented planters’ groups, led the turnover of farm equipment during a ceremony at the SRA-La Granja Agricultural Research and Extension Center in La Carlota City on Friday, February 27.
Joining him was SRA Executive Assistant Juan Andres Corro.
The equipment was handed over to the 1,000-member PROFABA Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative in Binalbagan town’s Barangay Payao, with more distributions scheduled for March to other ARB cooperatives across the region.
All assistance is funded through SIDA allocations in the General Appropriations Act, which aims to enhance sugar industry productivity, increase farmworker incomes, and improve competitiveness.
In 2025, SRA disbursed P101 million in farm support to Mill District Development Councils and block farms in the Visayas through the SIDA fund.
PROFABA President Roseny Villanueva, a former barangay kagawad of Payao, expressed gratitude for the timely assistance, highlighting its significance for cooperative members.
The announcement comes amid ongoing calls from the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines’ Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Council for leadership reforms at SRA.
The group had previously urged the resignation of the entire board, citing concerns over low farm gate prices, import policies and transparency issues affecting small planters and ARBs.
Sanson reassured stakeholders that the agency remains focused on supporting ARBs and small planters, signaling a renewed push to strengthen farm-level productivity and address longstanding concerns in the sugar sector./CJ, WDJ