Negros Occidental: Labor leaders on Wednesday raised concerns over the government’s decision to export 100,000 metric tons of locally produced sugar, saying the move could worsen the crisis facing the sugar industry amid falling millgate prices, reports Rappler.com.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Tuesday that it had approved a proposal by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to ship 100,000 metric tons of raw sugar to the United States. The decision followed an increase of about 130,000 metric tons in local sugar output. Authorities said the export plan is intended to reduce domestic supply and help stabilise millgate prices, which have dropped to around P2,000 per 50-kilo bag.
Roland de la Cruz, president of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP), questioned the move, saying the plan appeared rushed and lacked a clear implementing order. He said the government has yet to provide details on the volume breakdown, pricing and other key terms of the export plan.
De la Cruz said the announcement appeared aimed at easing pressure from labour groups, who are bearing the brunt of the current sugar crisis. He said many workers and unions remain unconvinced that the measure would provide real relief to those affected.
The downturn in the industry has already had serious consequences in Negros Occidental, where several hacienda owners were reportedly unable to pay the mandatory 13th-month salary to farm workers in December 2025. The Department of Labor and Employment is expected to complete its review of compliance reports from local plantations on Thursday.
De la Cruz, who has filed a complaint over the non-payment of bonuses, said thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries who invested in sugarcane farming are also suffering because of the price slump. He expressed concern that exporting sugar could be a temporary fix that may later be followed by additional imports, further aggravating the situation.
The current oversupply has been linked to heavy imports approved last year. Sugar Order No. 8, which took effect in September 2025, allowed the entry of 424,000 metric tons of imported sugar just weeks before the start of the milling season, despite planters advising that imports be capped at 150,000 metric tons.
With an estimated 270,000 metric tons of imported sugar now in the local market, both the DA and the SRA are facing difficulties in selling domestically produced sugar at prices that cover production costs.
