MANILA, Philippines – Naglabas ng bagong kautusan ang Sugar Regulatory Administration nitong Biyernes, Marso 8, na nag-aalok ng import opportunities sa mga trader kapalit ng boluntaryong pagbili ng hanggang 300,000 metriko tonelada ng local raw sugar.
Ayon sa SRA, ang programa ay bilang suporta sa mga registrered sugar trader.
“[T]he SRA deems it necessary to adopt additional, responsive, and pre-emptive measures through timely government intervention by way of voluntary limited time purchase of locally produced sugar at a premium to be temporarily reclassified to ‘C’ Reserved Sugar for a specified period of time in order to maintain a balanced supply and demand of sugar for domestic consumption while ensuring reasonable and stable prices,” saad sa kautusan.
“Eligible participants who purchased locally produced raw sugar…shall be given priority in future programs for sugar importation on the basis of the volume of raw sugar purchased under this Sugar Order, at a ratio of 1:5:1 (locally produced raw sugar purchased: imported sugar),” dagdag pa.
Hinimok ang mga magsasaka, sugar millers at iba pang lisensyado, na mangalakal ng asukal.
“If they buy two bags of sugar, they are allowed to import one. Parang may kapalit,” ayon kay United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) president Manuel Lamata.
Kamakailan ay sinabi ng UNIFED na ang farmgate price ng asukal ay patuloy na bumababa.
“The idea behind that is to prop up the mill gate prices, which recently went down from 3000-high to 2400. Lugi na yung mga farmers and that was because the traders were manipulating the prices,” ani Lamata.
Sa huling monitoring ng Department of Agriculture, ang presyo ng asukal para sa refined white sugar ay nasa P72 hanggang P100 kada kilo, habang ang washed sugar ay ibinibenta sa halagang P68 hanggang P86 at ang brown sugar sa P59 hanggang P90 kada kilo. RNT/JGC
