Welfare of sugar farmers a priority: SRA chief

MANILA -- Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica on Friday vowed to look after the welfare of sugar farmers.

“As SRA Administrator, I will always look after the mandate of SRA, and as someone who was born and raised in the sugarcane industry, I will always look after the good of the industry particularly its farmers from which I am a part of,” Serafica said in a statement.

“SRA is mandated to maintain a balance between sugar supply and demand that will ensure a price that is profitable to producers and fair to consumers,” he added.

On Oct. 1, 2018, the SRA issued Sugar Order (SO) No. 2 which allowed the release of 150,000 metric tons (MT), and an additional 138,600 MT of imported sugar in the domestic market.

SRA issued the SO to ensure stable supply of the commodity and stabilize prices in the market due to the projected increase in the

demand for raw and refined sugar, coupled with the low production of domestic sugar especially during the off season.

Serafica stressed that the SRA will only “look into importation only when there is a need to augment the supply and this will always be studied thoroughly”.

“The mechanism, volume and timing are important factors to consider in any importation and will undergo exhaustive consultations with industry stakeholders,” he said.

Serafica’s statement came a day after the United Sugar Producers’ Federation of the Philippines Inc. (UNIFED) issued a Board Resolution calling for his replacement as SRA Administrator.

“Whereas, SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica no longer serves the sugar industry due to his no response on the sugar liberalization issue,” the resolution states.

However, Serafica emphasized that “importation shall be resorted to only when necessary”.

“SRA shall be focusing more to improve production and productivity to lessen, if not avoid importation,” he said.

The SRA chief also vowed to “always listen” to the stakeholders - - farmers, producers, millers, and the industry -- to meet the demands of the endusers. (PNA)