Sugar millgate prices at Negros Occidental mills remained below P3,000 per Lkg on Thursday, September 28, for the third straight week since the start of the milling season.
Sugar farmers who asked not to be identified are asking what happened to government’s promise to keep the prices at P3,000 per Lkg and if too much imported sugar in the market is driving prices down.
The millgate prices per Lkg this week at Hawaiian Philippine Co. in Silay City was P2,901, First Farmers Holding Corp. in Talisay City – P2,833, Victorias Milling Co . in Victorias City – P2,718, Universal Robina Corp. (URC) La Carlota in La Carlota City – P2,717 Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Co. in Binalbagan – P2,715, Southern Negros Development Corp. in Kabankalan City – P2,710 and Lopez Sugar Central in Sagay City – P2,700.
Last week’s millgate sugar prices were: Hawaiian Philippine Co. – P3,005.05, First Farmers Holding Corp. – P3,005.22, URC La Carlota – P2,610, Victorias Milling Co. at P2,650 , Lopez Sugar Central – P2,612, Southern Negros Development Corp. – P2,610, Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Co. – P2,610, and Sagay Central – P2,612.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Administrator Pablo Azcona of the Sugar Regulatory Administration is investigating the low prices “because he feels it’s artificial in a sense that somebody is dictating or trying to bring down the price”.
“The general idea is to maintain a P3,000 per Lkg average throughout the milling season…we are hoping that it will pick up later on. What’s important is that at the end of the milling season we average at least P300 per bag,” Lacson said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said during his meeting with Senator Imee Marcos at the Negros Trade Fair in Makati City on Tuesday she aired her opposition to the National Economic and Development Authority proposal to allow the free importation of sugar.
He hopes at this time there would be no more sugar importation, Lacson said.*