The Department of Agriculture (DA) is working on the “merits” of opening the minimum access volume (MAV) to bring in additional sugar exports to keep a check on the rising prices of sugar in the domestic market, reports Business Mirror.
Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita A. Sombilla said that the agency is currently estimating the requirement of sugar by the country for this year.
“We are working on both opening MAV versus sugar order and are still estimating the need for sugar this year,” he said.
Roehlano M. Briones, Philippine Institute for Development Studies senior research fellow said, instead of utilizing the MAV, it would be easier to import sugar through a Sugar Order (SO) that the government has been doing for the past two decades.
Imports under MAV are slapped with a 50% tariff except for sugar brought from ASEAN member countries.
Thailand is a major supplier of sugar to the country and issuing SO would be easy to get additional supply from it efficiently, he said.
MAV would be a better option than SO if Thailand is harvesting sugarcane and its domestic supply is not enough to allow sugar exports, he added.
