The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) on Wednesday, Jan. 14, reiterated its opposition to any measure, under whatever pretext, that will ultimately allow additional imported sugar into the country, whether this year or in 2027.
“The NFSP is hopeful that this measure by the Department of Agriculture – Sugar Regulatory Administration to export 100,000 metric tons of sugar under the US Quota will bring relief to sugar farmers, in terms of improved millgate prices,” NFSP president Enrique D. Rojas said in a press statement.
However, NFSP opposes any colatilla that will allow sugar importation in exchange for whatever sugar exported to the US under this program, he said.
Under its agreement with the World Trade Organization, the United States grants preferential low tariff to sugar from selected countries, including the Philippines. For Fiscal Year 2026 (Oct. 1, 2025 – Sept. 30, 2026) US Sugar Quota Program announced in August 2025, the US granted the Philippines a quota of 145,235 mt, the NFSP statement pointed out.
“Sugar farmers don’t want to see a repeat of Sugar Order No. 5 – 2024-2025, wherein SRA allowed the export of 66,000 mt to the US, in exchange for the right to import 2.5 bags of sugar for every bag of sugar exported to the US. Under SO#5, SRA exported 66,000 mt in exchange for the right to import 165,000 mt,” Rojas said.
“We imported almost 100,000 mt more than what we exported under SO No. 5, compounded by the import replenishment program under SO No. 2 for crop year 2024-2025. This over importation in the guise of import replenishment programs is the primary cause of the low sugar prices we are experiencing now,” Rojas said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) this week announced its approval of SRA’s plan to export 100,000 mt sugar to the US under the quota program. Until now, the Sugar Order covering the said plan has not yet been posted at the SRA website nor was any copy sent to sugar industry stakeholders, he said.
“Is this program similar to SO No.5 2024-2025? If it is similar to the 1:2.5 ratio export-import replenishment program under SO No.5, we are looking at exporting 100,000 mt this year, in exchange for importing 250,000 mt next year, if the DA-SRA’s import ban for this year holds. We have no way of knowing for certain, until SRA provides us the official copy of the Sugar Order covering this announced US sugar export program,” Rojas said.
Rojas added that the uncertainty might further rattle the already depressed domestic sugar market, which has seen prices as low as P2,000 per bag in some parts of the country.
“What we need now is SRA’s assurance that there will be no import replenishment for this DA-SRA plan to export 100,000 mt under the US Sugar Quota Program. The only way to do that is to furnish all sugar industry stakeholders with a copy of the Sugar Order covering this program,” Rojas said.*