The Congress is expected to approve P2.4 billion for the sugar industry in the 2026 national budget, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced on Wednesday, October 8.
Speaking at a Senate Committee on Finance hearing, Laurel said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) initially earmarked P1 billion for the industry under the 2026 National Expenditure Program. The House of Representatives later approved an additional P1.4 billion. Once the Senate gives its approval, the total funding for the sector will reach P2.4 billion next year.
Laurel told senators that the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) of 2015 needs to be revised to allow greater flexibility in how Congress-approved funds are used to improve productivity.
Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona proposed increasing the annual SIDA allocation from P2 billion to P5 billion, emphasizing the need to modernize sugar mills and introduce farm mechanization to boost production.
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, one of SIDA’s authors, asked the Department of Agriculture and the SRA to submit their recommended amendments for consideration.
Meanwhile, Azcona stated that there are no plans for sugar importation at present, reported Digicast Negros. National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) president Enrique D. Rojas reiterated the group’s opposition, warning that additional imports would be “disastrous for the sugar industry.”
Azcona said he and Secretary Laurel agreed there would be “no talks of sugar importation” until May or June 2026, once actual production figures are available. Only then would they assess if imports are necessary.
He explained that any discussion of importation during the milling season can trigger speculation and reduce farm prices. “Real farmers know that such talks harm the industry, so I don’t understand where these statements are coming from,” he said, suggesting that some may be trying to destabilize the market.
Azcona stressed that all importations under his administration have been carefully planned, transparent, and performance-based—helping maintain stable farmgate and retail sugar prices.
He added that during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration, sugar prices and production have remained steady, and the total planted area has increased. From 380,000 hectares in 2022, sugarcane land expanded to 403,000 hectares in 2025, reversing a previous decline.
“This growth reflects a stable and favorable price for farmers, which encourages them to plant more sugarcane,” Azcona said. “That’s why we must be cautious with our statements—careless remarks can hurt farmer prices and the entire industry.”
