Philippines sugar supply adequate — SRA

MANILA, Philippines — The Sugar Regulatory Administration maintains that supply of sugar in the country is sufficient even if local production is seen to hit its 10-year low and further decline in the next crop year.

Local sugar production is expected to dip 3.5 percent to 2.025 million metric tons. A sugar crop year starts in September and will end in August the following year.

Production is seen to further decrease to two million MT by the next crop year as sugarcane areas continue to shrink due to the conversion of sugarcane lands, particularly in Luzon.

“On the matter of supply, sugar milling is ongoing, and stocks are building up,” SRA said in a statement.

“The two mills in Bukidnon that were locked down on March 28 have reopened on April 20. The country has more than enough supply for the domestic market,” it added.

SRA said there had been difficulties in the transport and delivery of sugar across local government units amid the extended enhanced community quarantine in some areas.

But the matter is already being addressed following the government’s directive to ensure unhampered and unimpeded transit of crop commodities, fishery and aquatic products, live poultry, livestock, meat and meat products and farm inputs across all quarantine checkpoints.