Ten Negros Island Region (NIR) lawmakers, in a joint statement on Tuesday, Oct. 14, called on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to take immediate measures to address the sharp decline in sugar prices that has left farmers struggling to recover their production costs.
The representatives, in their joint statement, said reports that sugarcane farmers are being hit by a sharp decline in sugar prices “well below the cost of production, threatens rural livelihoods, food security, and social stability in the NIR.”
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 by Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo (Neg. Occ., 5th District).
“Industry leaders warn that if unchecked, such price collapse could worsen poverty in rural sugar districts, where over 60 percent of households depend on sugarcane as either principal or supplementary income,” they added.
The Negros representatives urged the SRA to issue a transparent and data-based explanation on the reasons behind the sudden price collapse, including the effects of recent importations, pest infestations, and shifts in market demand.
They also called on relevant agencies and stakeholders to act with urgency and accountability to cushion the blow of collapsing sugar prices and restore stability to the industry.
“Negros Occidental remains the country’s top sugar-producing province, accounting for nearly half of total national output. The decline in prices could ripple through thousands of families dependent on the crop for income and employment,” they said.
The Negros Occidental representatives whose names were listed in the joint statement are: Julio Ledesma IV (1st District), Alfredo Marañon III (2nd District), Javier Miguel Benitez (3rd District), Jeffrey Ferrer (4th District), Emilio Bernardino Yulo (5th District), Mercedes Alvarez (6th District), and Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Bacolod).
The Negros Oriental representatives were: Emmanuel Iway (1st District), Isabel Sagarbarria (2nd District), and Janice Degamo (3rd District).
Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez filed a resolution on Monday, Oct. 13, urging the House of Representatives to investigate the steep drop in millgate sugar prices in Negros Occidental.
House Resolution No. 373 calls on the House of Representatives, through the Committees on Agriculture and Food, Trade and Industry, and Labor and Employment to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation.*