Valencia City, Bukidnon (Philippines): A group of sugarcane farmers from Bukidnon has called on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to review its plan to import 424,000 metric tons of refined sugar, saying local supplies remain sufficient, reported Inquirer.net.
The Mindanao Sustainable Sugarcane Agricultural Development, Inc. (MINFED), which represents planters and workers in the province, appealed to SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. to reconsider Sugar Order No. 8, Series of 2024–2025. The order allows the importation of refined sugar between July 15 and November 30, 2025.
MINFED President and former Bukidnon Representative Manuel Antonio Zubiri warned that the plan could harm local producers who are already dealing with high production costs and low selling prices.
“This decision could put our farmers at greater risk and weaken the local sugar industry,” Zubiri said.
The group pointed out that Bukidnon’s two major sugar mills, BUSCO Sugar Milling Co. Inc. and Crystal Sugar Milling Corp., still have enough stock as of October 7. Current inventories include 99,726 bags of raw sugar, 1,716,158 bags of refined sugar, and 1,347,737 bags from other milling operations.
Zubiri said these supplies could be redirected to areas like Negros Occidental, which may experience shortages, instead of importing new stocks.
While Bukidnon has avoided the red-striped soft scale pest outbreak that affected Negros, farmers there said continuous rains have reduced sugar recovery rates and yields. Rising fertilizer and fuel prices have further strained their earnings.
Bukidnon’s sugar mills are scheduled to start operations on November 24, 2025. Across Mindanao, sugarcane plantations cover around 79,000 hectares, with 59,000 hectares located in Bukidnon alone.
In a joint statement, Agriculture Secretary Tiu-Laurel, SRA Administrator Azcona, and SRA Board Member and Farmers’ Representative Dave Sanson said there will be no sugar importation until the end of the 2025–2026 milling season, expected between May and June 2026.
They added that any future importation will be classified strictly as reserve sugar and will not enter the local market. A two-month buffer stock of refined sugar will also be maintained to keep prices stable and ensure steady supply.
