Refined sugar sold at P100 per kilo in Metro Manila markets

Sugar remained expensive at Metro Manila wet markets at around P100 per kilo, Bernadette Reyes reported  Tuesday on "24 Oras."

Based to the Department of Agriculture's (DA's) monitoring, the price of white sugar per kilo at the Marikina Public Market ranged from P98 to P106, while it was at least P98 to P105 in Muñoz Market, and P100 in Mega Q-mart.

According to Rose Montoya, a retailer at Quezon City's Mega Q-mart, sugar prices had started to drop a few weeks ago. However, the price had risen back to around P100.

“Nung isang linggo nakakabili pa kami ng mababa, ngayon tumataas na ulit. Sa puti [na asukal] po P96 na po ang puhunan kaya P100 na po ang bentahan,” Montoya said.

Due to the prices, vendor Bebian Baranda said she no longer used white sugar at her beverage and banana que stand.

“Sa sobrang taas, hindi na po ako gumagamit ng [puting asukal] kasi po yung washed sugar parang puting asukal naman po,” Baranda said.

(Because it's so expensive, I am no longer using white sugar and washed sugar is also the same as the white sugar.)

The representatives of the sugar board said around P38 to P46 per kilo was the millgate price of raw sugar during the last milling season in the crop year of 2021 to 2022.

However, the millgate price of raw sugar increased to P60 per kilo in the crop year 2022 to 2023.

The millers representatives explained the increase of prices was due to the high production cost.

“The refined sugar will be dependent on the input cost. Ang number one talaga doon is yung sa fuel natin. By November, all the refineries will be operating in full speed so we can really have enough refined sugar for the need of the industrial at saka direct consumers,” Mitzi Mangwag, board member of Sugar Board Millers’ Representative (SBMR), said.

“Once everybody mills in Negros already basically because 60% plus of the production comes from Negros, the prices will surely stabilize,” Pablo Luis Azcona, board member of SBMR, said.

According to the DA, around P95 per kilo was the prevailing price of white sugar in Metro Manila markets.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), however, said prices would decrease by November due to the full operation of larger mills in Negros which supplies at least 60% of the country’s sugar.

The 150,000 metric tons of refined sugar that will arrive in the country by November will also help ease prices.

“It will stabilize and it will go a little lower when all the mills and refineries are in full operation. Hopefully, if the trend continues. We will have more sugar than what we estimated. P72 to P80 is a good price,” SRA acting administrator David John Thaddeus Alba said.

As of September, the country's raw sugar supply was around 134,000 metric tons, with 143,000 metric tons of refined sugar.

Of the bags of sugar the Bureau of Customs confiscated last August, 51,000 bags were still being investigated.

“For some that have already completed their papers, that sugar is above board... already certified. And Customs I think have already started to get them in the market,” Alba added. — Richa Allyssa Noriega/DVM, GMA News