Government officials and lawmakers on Monday agreed on a set of immediate and longer-term measures to stabilize the sugar industry, as declining farmgate prices, refining constraints, and market uncertainty continue to pressure farmers and stakeholders.

The agreement followed a Jan. 23 consultation with sugarcane farmers, millers, refiners, and other stakeholders, which surfaced concerns over falling farmgate prices, excess raw sugar, and gaps in policy coordination affecting the market.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, together with Quezon 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga and Apayao lone district Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, joined Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and other officials in mapping a coordinated response that aligns immediate measures with longer-term structural reforms for the industry.

“Government leaders from both the Executive and Legislative came together today to respond to the urgent concerns raised from the ground and to chart a clearer, fairer path forward for the sugar industry,” a joint statement said.

Central to the plan is the initiation of stakeholder consultations to propose amendments to the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA) to ensure that the law reflects current industry realities, particularly in refining performance, importation policy alignment, and the institutionalization of regular consultations.

“Initiate stakeholder consultations to propose amendments to the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA),” the officials said, citing the need to align the law with prevailing market and operational conditions.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) committed to provide assistance to sugarcane farmers, while the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will assess the use of purchase contracts as collateral to improve access to financing.

The agencies will also review the integration of small farmers, including agrarian reform beneficiaries and agrarian reform communities, into existing assistance programs in accordance with established guidelines.

To reduce market uncertainty, the SRA said it would continue regular stakeholder consultations prior to issuing sugar orders on imports or exports.

Policies on the entry, use, and market impact of artificial sweeteners will be reviewed.

The DA and SRA committed to update and make available comprehensive data on actual refinery output versus rated capacity, trends in raw versus refined sugar production, the disposition of output, and importation volumes and their geographic distribution.

“These steps will be carried out in close consultation with stakeholders, with the shared aim of building a stable, transparent, and sustainable sugar industry that protects farmers while ensuring stable and reliable supply for consumers and industry,” the statement said.

Importation programs will be reviewed, study measures to incentivize domestic refining and assess the geographic movement of sugar in areas experiencing oversupply to avoid market distortions. (PNA)