Halt imports, back local sugar

Stakeholders in the sugar industry are pressing the Department of Agriculture (DA) to halt importation to address supply glut woes.

The Asociacion de Agricultores de la Carlota y Pontevedra Inc., Kabankalan-Ilog Planters Association, Sugarcane Growers Association of Bukidnon Inc. and Sugarcane Farmers of Bukidnon Multipurpose Cooperative are among the groups which joined the call.

The groups said they have fallen victims to unabated importation of sugar and other sweeteners over the past years.

Tillers need support

Instead of resorting to importation during tight supply situations, the groups underscored the need for government to support local farmers.

“The sugar industry is fortunate that even with the low demand for our commodity brought about by the pandemic, the perceived shortfall in the country’s annual consumption of sugar may even-out because of a slight increase in total production in the last crop year, as compared to previous years,” the group said.

“However, when business is back-to-normal, we may again be subjected to unabated importation that has caused misery to the millions of industry stakeholders,” the groups noted.

Focus on food security

The associations reiterated that the DA, being the primary agency tasked to oversee farm production, should address first the disconnect between continued importation and the President’s call to strengthen food security.

“We feel the urgency to call on the DA to strengthen local agriculture industries through well-meaning programs with the end view of improving productivity and self-sustainability,” they said.

“There is no better time than now to re-assess government programs and streamline regulatory requirements to hasten modernization of our various agriculture industries,” they added.