By CESAR JOLITO III
Two major sugar industry groups have come out in strong support of the current leadership of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), pushing back against calls to replace the Sugar Board amid declining sugar prices.
The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) and the Luzon Federation of Sugarcane Growers Association (LuzonFed) expressed full confidence in the board led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, Jr. and SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona.
Unifed Chairman Manuel Lamata criticized the Sugar Council and its allies for blaming the current board for the drop in sugar prices, arguing that the same leadership had delivered favorable returns for producers over the past two years.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the call to replace the Sugar Board,” Lamata said, adding that previous gains under the current administration — including improved productivity and expanded support through the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA) — should not be dismissed.
The groups said the board has met key commitments and provided tangible benefits across the industry.
They also questioned the motives of critics, claiming some sectors have repeatedly opposed the administration while declining to participate in stakeholder consultations.
Despite their support, Unifed acknowledged ongoing structural weaknesses in the sugar industry, pointing to recurring cycles of price surges followed by sharp declines.
The group stressed that these issues stem from systemic gaps in market coordination, data management, efficiency, and transparency.
“Replacing leadership will not resolve these issues,” Lamata said, warning that any new officials would face the same underlying challenges unless reforms are implemented.
The federation also took aim at the Sugar Council, accusing it of fueling division through repeated calls for import bans and sweeping policy changes without offering long-term solutions.
Unifed urged the council to step down, arguing that continued agitation could further destabilize the sector.
Both groups emphasized the need for unity and a balanced approach that combines immediate assistance for farmers with deeper structural reforms. They called on stakeholders to focus on strengthening industry systems to ensure long-term stability and competitiveness.
“We, too, are farmers, and while we have been affected by the low price of sugar this year, we should see beyond this year’s challenges,” Lamata said.
“We must continue working together to make the industry more resilient,” he added.
Earlier, a coalition of 93 sugar industry leaders from across the country was calling for a sweeping overhaul of the SRA, including the replacement of its governing board, amid growing concerns over falling sugar prices and policy direction.
In a manifesto signed by major planters’ federations, labor unions, agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) groups, and industry organizations, stakeholders urged the government to immediately reconstitute the Sugar Board, citing “neglect of duty, inefficiency, grave misconduct, and loss of confidence.”
Among those named for replacement are Tiu-Laurel Jr., Azcona, planters’ representative Dave Sanson, and millers’ representative Mitzi Mangwag.
The signatories represent a significant portion of the country’s sugar sector, including the Sugar Council — composed of the Confederation of Sugarcane Farmers (Confed), the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) and the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, Inc. (Panayfed) — which collectively accounts for over half of national sugar production.
Also backing the manifesto are the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (Nacusip), agrarian reform beneficiaries who now manage up to 80 percent of sugarcane farms, and institutions such as the Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI) and the Philippine Sugar Research Institute (Philsurin)./CJ, WDJ