The Philippines has breached the 2 million metric tons (MT) mark on the local production of sugar, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.
In a media interview, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the local output achievement shows that the administration is “doing something right” in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to boost local support to farmers to increase agricultural production.
“Guaranteed na mag-breach tayo (that we will breach) and we will have the highest harvest of sugar in history. So, that is good news,” he said.
As of June 8, the country logged a 2.015 million MT harvest of local sugar, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Breaching the 2 million MT mark is considered the first since the cropping year 2020 to 2021, and is higher than the 1.7 million MT sugar production projection.
This volume may still increase in the remaining weeks of milling, Tiu Laurel added, citing the possibility of meeting self-sufficiency in the coming years.
The country’s production demand is set at 2.3 million MT, according to the SRA.
During the previous crop year, the country recorded 1.922 million MT of raw sugar output.
Tiu Laurel, meanwhile, attributed the good harvest to the “cropping intention” of local farmers amid stable prices of sugar.
“Na-stabilize natin (We’re able to stabilize it). If a product is stable, people can plan. People can plan for the next planting season,” he said.
“Hindi iyong nag-aalangan ka. So, parang iyong planting intention nandun, dahil stable ang prices sa farm gate, stable ang prices sa (You’re not hesitant. So, the planting intention is there because there’s stable farmgate prices, and stable prices in the) retail.”
As of June 1, the average mill site price is set at PHP2,712.55 per 50-kg. of raw sugar.
Moreover, the average wholesale price is set at PHP3,135 per 50 kg. of raw sugar or equivalent to an average retail price of PHP74.92 per kg. in wet markets and PHP79.46 per kg. in supermarkets in Metro Manila as of May 30.
The average retail prices of refined sugar, meanwhile, are pegged at PHP83.54 per kg. in wet markets and PHP89.30 per kg. in supermarkets.
In August 2022, retail prices of sugar surged to as high as PHP130 per kg. due to the plummeting stocks of refined sugar in the country. (PNA)
