SRA mulls importing 150K MT of white sugar

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said it is considering importing 150,000 metric tons of white sugar amid dwindling supply that could last only until the end of August.

Interviewed on BaliTanghali Wednesday, SRA acting administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the shortage was caused by lower outputs for refined or white sugar after millers started sugar production a month ahead of their schedule.

This is to avoid delays in local production, which led to high sugar prices in the country last year, he added.

“We started milling earlier and this led to the milling ng sugar canes na di ganon ka mature so mababa ang extraction. ‘Yan ang umpisa. Since we started early, we also ended early. One month earlier tayo nag-end this year and ‘yung one month na pinroduce na asukal sumama sa last cropping year, kasi ang end ng cropping year natin is August 31,” Azcona explained.

“Maliit lang ang bumaba sa total production, ang malaki ay sa refined sugar o white sugar,” he said.

Further, the official also said the inclement weather disrupted refinery operations and affected the supply of white sugar products mainly used by food and beverage manufacturers.

"Yung reason na binigay ng refineries sa atin is nung time ng early this year na sobra yung ulan, nauubusan sila ng supply ng sugar cane, they are estimating almost 100,000 metric tons drop in refined production, so yun din yung reason why we’re thinking of imports. However, as promised to the president, we will conduct all necessary inventories first," Azcona said.

The SRA and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have instructed the sugar millers to resume the next milling season on September 1 to boost the country’s productivity.

In February this year, the government imported 440,000 metric tons of refined sugar citing the need to have a stable supply.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News