By CESAR JOLITO III
A major labor group in the sugar sector called for greater transparency and leadership changes within the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) amid the recent decline in sugar prices.
In a statement, the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Nacusip-TUCP) backed Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez’s statement that the drop in sugar prices was not caused by a congressional inquiry but by oversupply and policy decisions made by the SRA.
Nacusip-TUCP echoed Benitez’s stance, accusing the SRA of shifting blame instead of addressing policy shortcomings.
The group called for the immediate release of official documents related to the importation order, insisting that transparency is essential to restore trust in the agency.
The union also renewed its demand for the resignation of key SRA officials, saying their continued leadership has contributed to hardship among farmers and workers in the sugar industry.
Nacusip-TUCP emphasized that it will continue pushing for reforms, underscoring the need for accountability and policies that safeguard the welfare of producers and consumers alike.
Benitez earlier rejected allegations linking a House hearing to the market downturn, stressing that basic supply and demand dynamics drove the price slump.
He cited data showing that sugar inventory at the start of the October 2025 milling season reached 902,082 metric tons — 44 percent higher than the previous year — while carry-over stocks ballooned to 738,633 metric tons.
The lawmaker also pointed to Sugar Order No. 8, series of 2024-2025, which authorized the importation of 424,000 metric tons of refined sugar.
He said the scheduled arrival of these imports during the local milling season worsened oversupply and contributed to falling farm-gate prices.
By January 2026, sugar prices had dropped to between P2,000 and P2,200 per 50-kilogram bag, levels that Benitez said were below production costs for many farmers, particularly smallholders and agrarian reform beneficiaries.
He maintained that the congressional hearings, conducted in aid of legislation, helped prompt the Department of Agriculture to extend the sugar import ban until December 2026 — an intervention he described as crucial in protecting local producers./CJ, WDJ