Consumers and industrial users can now enjoy the holiday rush as sugar supply in the country has stabilized, with the refineries churning out a substantially higher production than expected, compared to the same period last year, Tatak Kalamay spokesperson, Gerard Joseph Sarrosa, said Monday, December 12.
Sugar Regulatory Administration records show that total refined sugar stock stands at 228,000 metric tons for the period of September to November, or 91 percent higher than that of last year’s record at 119,000 MT during the same period, Sarrosa said.
Tatak Kalamay, an aggrupation of sugar industry stakeholders, also lauded the decision of the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the SRA to contain the importation program at 150,000 MT only instead of the earlier sugar order that pegged it at 300,000 MT.
Sarrosa lauded Marcos and SRA Administrator David Alba for “being cautious in their importation program because had they pushed through with the 300,000 MT sugar order, they would be facing an oversupply today to the detriment of our sugar producers.”
Sarrosa also lauded the cooperation of the sugar refineries for responding to the earlier call of Alba to commence their operations earlier than usual. “We are thankful that industry stakeholders are working together to ensure that we can respond to the needs of our consumers,” he said.
“We are also fortunate that good weather was on our side, thus production is high in terms of purity which has led to better sugar output as well,” Sarrosa added.*