Consumers may soon avail of a PHP70-per-kilogram sugar, the Department of Agriculture-Sugar Regulatory Administration (DA-SRA) said on Monday.

In a statement, the DA-SRA said this price shall be temporarily implemented to help consumers while “awaiting for sugar mills to be in full swing.”

The agency insisted that once the majority of the sugar mills are fully operational, a more sufficient and affordable sugar supply shall be available in the market.

“The Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), will start selling sugar at P70 per kilo at SRA Quezon City and Bacolod City Offices. In addition, the Kadiwa rolling stores and Kadiwa on Wheels will be selling sugar at the same price to make sugar affordable and accessible to consumers,” the DA-SRA said.

Imported sugar will also be sold in Kadiwa and SRA offices.

“The DA-SRA has asked each importer under the Sugar Importation Policy for Crop Year 2022-2023 to commit ten percent (10%) of their imported sugar allocation to be sold, through DA and at P70/kilo in order to have ample supply of affordable sugar,” it added.

As of Monday, prices in Metro Manila for refined sugar remained high, increasing to PHP105/kg from last Friday’s PHP100/kg, while washed sugar maintained its PHP90/kg price, and the price of brown sugar went down from PHP88 last Friday to PHP85.

The department, however, clarified that the PHP70/kg sugar is not for resellers, but for consumers.

Earlier, DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said the SRA plans to come up with an “amenable suggested retail price” for sugar.

Its target implementation is set this month as import supplies of sugar are slowly coming alongside the gradual increase of local production.

“Most likely ma’am, before November, the sooner we can implement this, then mas makakatulong tayo sa ating consumers (we can even help our consumers more),” Evangelista said. (PNA)