Agri group wants warehouses checked, bats for small-quantity sugar imports if there’s shortage

An agriculture-sector alliance called the government on Sunday to conduct an inventory in warehouses to determine present levels of sugar supply.

The Alyansa Agrikultura asked the government to check sugar warehouses to determine actual supply levels, and suggested that small-quantity sugar imports maybe allowed if there is real shortage.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Alyansa Agrikultura chairman Ernesto Ordoñez raised concerns about the real state of sugar supply in the country, saying that hoarders and unscrupulous traders could exploit the situation.

He said the stock of sugar could only be determined if warehouses would be checked.

''Walang pumapasok sa warehouse eh. Karapatan ‘yan ng gobyerno na pumasok sa mga warehouse pero hindi ito ginagawa. Dapat gawin nila ngayon din. Kung talagang wala, dapat mag-angkat, pero dapat patingi-tingi, hindi bigla,” Ordoñez said.

(No one from the government is checking. The state has the right to check warehouses, it is its duty. It must do so now, and if there is real shortage, it could allow small-quantity sugar imports.)

Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary and spokesperson Kristine Evangelista earlier said there is a shortage in sugar supply in the wake of Typhoon Odette, which destroyed sugarcane crops in December 2021.

Evangelista also said the Philippines needs to import around 300,000 metric tons of sugar to stabilize the commodity’s price, and to augment supply shortfall.

But Ordoñez stressed that importation should be done in small quantities only if there really is a shortage, to avoid giving undue advantage to importers.

However, he said that if there is still a supply of sugar, then those who are pushing for the importation should be punished accordingly.

“Pasok tayo sa warehouse, kapag nalaman natin ang totoong dami no’n, pwede tayong tumira. Halimbawa, talagang walang asukal, hindi na masama ang importer pero kapag may asukal, talagang masama hindi ang importer, ang mas masama do’n 'yung kasabwat sa gobyerno,” he said.

(Let's go to the warehouses to know the real supply. If there is no sugar stock, the importers are not to blame, but if there is enough sugar supply the accomplices in the government should be punished.)

On Wednesday, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz Angeles said Marcos had rejected proposals for the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.

The next day, she said Sugar Order No. 4 -- which was meant to green-light the importation of 300,000 metric tons -- was “illegal” and an investigation was ongoing over the "unauthorized" signing of the document that appeared to be signed by Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian.

On Friday night, the Palace spokesperson announced the Sebastian resigned as undersecretary for operations and chief of staff to the Secretary of Agriculture as he apologized for having signed Sugar Order No. 4 without the President's approval. —LBG, GMA News