Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Sugar Regulatory Administration officials have met with traders to address concerns over the low prices of raw sugar seen during the first bidding in Negros on October 9.
Laurel and SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona and Board Member Dave Sanson have held initial discussions with traders, a Department of Agriculture (DA) statement said on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Azcona told DIGICAST NEGROS he has held a series of meetings with the traders since last week.
Sugar traders revealed market hesitation, largely influenced by conflicting statements from various sugarcane farmer groups. As a result, major traders refrained from purchasing sugar during the previous bidding, the DA statement said.
To restore confidence among farmers, millers, and traders, Laurel and the SRA officials jointly assured stakeholders that no sugar importation is planned until the end of the current milling season, projected between May and June 2026.
“Let us be clear — there is, and never was, any talk of an importation program for Crop Year 2025-2026 until we finish significant milling, have firm production figures, and ensure any imports would only be classified as C or reserve sugar,” Laurel and Azcona said.
In the same meeting, it was agreed that a two-month buffer stock of refined sugar will be maintained at all times to ensure market stability.
All sugar imports, if any, will continue to be classified strictly as reserve (C) sugar and not enter the domestic market directly, the DA said.
Sanson welcomed the decision, saying “this move assures our farmers that the current administration prioritizes their welfare. It’s a welcome development, and we hope this stabilizes prices now that speculation has been addressed.”
Since 2022, the sugar industry has seen a steady expansion in planted areas — from 380,000 hectares to 409,000 this year, the DA said.
Under the leadership of Laurel and Azcona, farmgate prices have remained stable, encouraging more farmers to grow sugarcane, it said.
Retail prices have also held steady, benefiting both farmers and consumers, many of whom come from sugarcane-growing communities, the DA said.
Ten Negros Island Region (NIR) lawmakers, in a joint statement on Tuesday, Oct. 14, called on the SRA to take immediate measures to address “the sharp decline in sugar prices that has left farmers struggling to recover their production costs”.
Recent reports show that the millgate price for sugar has plunged to around P2,200 per 50-kilogram bag, a level nearly P300 below the estimated production cost, they said in the joint statement furnished the media.
The Himamaylan City Sangguniang Panlungsod also passed a resolution on Tuesday urgently urging various national government agencies to look into the drop in sugar prices, Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao said.
The low sugar prices are alarming because Himamaylan has the most number of agrarian reform beneficiaries in the province, he added.*