The Manila Times

SRA: Sugar shortage is real

BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

HE sugar shortage is real, it is not a figment of the imagination,” said Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Hermenigildo Serafica to end the issue that the agency was lying when it earlier claimed that there was insufficient sugar supply in the country.

United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) President Manuel Lamata said recently that the country had enough sugar supply following the arrival of imported sugar last week. He questioned the doubling of sugar prices.

Refined sugar is currently priced at P80 to P90 per kilo in public markets, higher than the suggested retail price of P50 per kilo set by the Department of Agriculture.

For Serafica, those who claim that there is indeed no sugar shortage “either do not have all the information they need to properly analyze the situation; are just trying to manipulate perception to suit their own self-interest and hidden agenda; or refuse to see what is right in front of them because of their own delusions.”

“Out of all the federations and various sugarcane industry associations, there is only one person along with his associates that insist on their own version of the situation and insist that there is no shortage of sugar,” Serafica said.

The SRA administrator stressed that most of the sugar imported under Sugar Order 3 has not yet arrived in the Philippines. SRA is the only authority that issues clearances for the importation of sugar.

“Anyone outside of SRA who claims that the 200,000 metric tons (MT) imported sugar is already here, has no basis whatsoever,” Serafica said.

Based on the stock balance as of June 19, 2022, the country’s supply of raw sugar will last until Aug. 4, 2022, while the supply of refined sugar will last until July 29, 2022. This data, Serafica noted, is based on actual sugar produced and withdrawn from the mills and refineries, and is updated every week.

For this crop year that started Sept. 1, 2021 and ends Aug. 31, 2022, the country’s final estimated production of raw sugar is 1.8 million metric tons (MMT), and the carry over stock from the previous crop year is 228,000 MT. This brings the country’s total stock balance for raw sugar to 2.028 MMT but estimated demand for raw sugar is 2.03 MMT with an average monthly demand for raw sugar of 169,000 MT.

“Majority of our sugar mills already stopped milling in April and May due to lack of cane supply.

Out of the 27 mills, only one small mill is operating right now. Hence, we are already eating up our buffer stock and this will not be enough until the end of August. Though the next milling season starts on September 1, most mills don’t start this soon, and it will take a few months for production to build up and meet our demand,” Serafica explained.

For refined sugar, carryover stock was 144,000 MT, while estimated refined sugar production was 771,000 MT, giving a total refined sugar stock balance of 915,000 MT. However, estimated demand for refined sugar is 943,000 MT with an average monthly demand of 83,000 MT. Most refineries have also stopped operations in May and now, only 1 out of 13 refineries remain in operation.

Agribusiness

en-ph

2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/282097755395394

The Manila Times