HOE, SOW, GROW. Farmers of Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac hoe a field before sowing sugarcane. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Agriculture has decided to delay its decision on sugar importation until mid-2025 to have a clearer understanding of domestic supply.
The decision was reached during a meeting between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr., Sugar Regulatory Authority Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, Sugar Board Member Dave Sanson, and Andre Corro on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Laurel said there is no immediate need for additional imports as the domestic supply of raw and refined sugar remains stable and sufficient to meet projected needs.
“Given the current situation, Administrator Azcona and I agreed that a decision on sugar importation could be delayed until after May, when the current harvest season ends,” he added.
Azcona explained on Sunday, Nov. 10 that the current harvest season started slowly, with total cane volume reaching only a third of the amount harvested around the same period in the last crop year.
He attributed this to lower sugar content per ton of cane due to El Niño.
“Our supply for both raw and refined sugar is stable and we are just beginning our harvest season, so Secretary Laurel and I agree that there will be no sugar imports until after harvest sometime in May or June,” Azcona said.
“Farmers had to delay their harvests to allow the cane to mature further and increase sugar content,” he added.
The prolonged dry spells brought by El Niño resulted in the cane being physiologically immature, resulting in a 16% lower sugar content per ton of cane, constraining sugar output despite an increase in planting areas.
Azcona said SRA data show the area planted to sugar cane this year increased slightly to 389,461 hectares, up from 388,378 hectares the previous crop year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts a 3.6% decline in Philippine raw sugar production for the current crop year. The current crop year ends in August next year.