DA, SRA agree to extend moratorium on molasses importation until March 2026

The Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) have agreed to extend Molasses Order No. 1, placing a moratorium on the importation of molasses until the end of March 2026. 

In the recommendation to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the Board has deemed the extension as necessary, noting that local stock levels remain at around 250,000 metric tons, which is considered ample for domestic use.

“Based on the recommendation of the SRA, and in the interest of our farmers and millers, Administrator Azcona and I have agreed to extend the moratorium on molasses imports until March 30, 2026—or further, depending on local stock levels,” Tiu-Laurel said in a press statement.

Azcona also reported to the DA that milling operations began on October 1 in Negros Island, with molasses production reaching nearly 84,000 metric tons as of November 9.

Despite the moratorium, Azcona pointed out that stock levels remain high. 

“The extension will help relieve our millers’ tanks of local stock and, hopefully, support better molasses prices,” Azcona said.

The SRA and the DA may amend the moratorium order as needed, depending on the total molasses inventory.

To recall, Molasses Order No 1 was issued in September suspending the entry of imported molasses until the end of this year to prevent farmer prices from falling further. 

A 21% increase in molasses production last milling season, coupled with additional imported supply, pushed the prices down by almost half to below 10,000 per metric ton in early November. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA Integrated News