The Agriculture Committee of Congress will conduct a nationwide public consultation on the sugar industry in the third week of January, Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said on Saturday, Dec. 21.
“We have heard the many voices calling for help for the sugarcane industry. This industry is now at a critical juncture and needs quick, effective, and well-studied moves to save it together,” Benitez said in a Facebook post.
He said the Senate and the House of Representatives are “opening an opportunity to hear the voices of our stakeholders in this industry” in the third week of January.
As representative from Negros where sugarcane is the main crop, Benitez said “we have lobbied to our fellow congressmen and the Senate to give time to hear the difficulties and aspirations of our farmers, sugar planters, millers, and traders”.
This consultation also aims to provide solutions to the challenges faced by the entire industry that have a profound impact on the economy, he said.
“We urge all stakeholders of the sugar industry to participate in this public consultation. This is the opportunity we have been waiting for. Our collective voices in the sugar industry must be heard,” he said.
“Let’s unite and together bring back the sweetness of life that this industry brings,” he added.*
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