Two major sugar federations on Tuesday, May 5, accused the Sugar Council of “counterproductive agitation” and sabotaging industry unity by seeking to oust Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel and the current Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) leadership.
The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) and the Luzon Federation of Sugarcane Growers Association (LuzonFed) issued a joint statement reaffirming their full support for Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona and the Sugar Board members, arguing that the recent drop in sugar prices is a result of systemic “structural gaps” rather than a failure of the current board.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the call of the Sugar Council and their allies to replace the Sugar Board and place the blame on the Board for the drop in sugar prices, when this is the same Sugar Board that gave them very good prices in the past two years,” UNIFED Chairman Manuel Lamata said.
The current Sugar Board has fulfilled its commitments—raising productivity, expanding support through Sugar Industry Development Act, and delivering tangible gains across the industry, Lamata said.
“We are not surprised by their call for ouster,” Lamata said, noting that certain groups have consistently opposed the current administration while refusing to engage constructively in stakeholder consultations.
These gains made by the Sugar Board are real and should not be disregarded, he said.
“The recurring cycle of strong prices followed by sharp declines shows that while progress has been made, structural gaps in the system still remain. This is not a question of effort, but of system design,” Lamata said.
“If gaps in data, market coordination, efficiency, and transparency are not fully addressed, the industry will continue to face the same cycle in the years ahead, he said.
Replacing leadership will not resolve these issues, he added,
Any new leadership will inherit the same structural challenges, and without strengthening the system itself, the outcome will not change, Lamata said.
“At the same time, we cannot ignore the continued actions of the Sugar Council, whose repeated calls for import bans, sweeping controls, and leadership changes have contributed to division and uncertainty without offering credible, long-term solutions,” he said.
“This is the same accusation they are throwing at the present Board when records will show that these groups have refused calls to attend stakeholder consultations,” Lamata said.
“For this reason, we call on the Sugar Council to step down,” he added.
At a time when the industry requires unity, stability, and a clear path forward, continued agitation without structural reform is counterproductive and risks further harm to both farmers and consumers, Lamata said.
“We reaffirm that farmers must be supported in the immediate term. But we must also continue strengthening the foundations of the industry—through better data systems, clearer market signals, improved efficiency, and greater transparency—so that we can finally break the cycle of instability,” he said.
“We too are farmers, and while we have been affected by the low price of sugar this year, we should see beyond this year’s challenges and continue to work together to make our industry more resilient and competitive”, he added.
“We call on all stakeholders to move forward with responsibility, unity, and a shared commitment to both immediate support and long-term reform”, Lamata said.*
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