By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Approximately 25,300 metric tons of raw sugar from Negros Occidental are set to be transported to the United States.
Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona personally inspected the loading of raw sugar destined for the U.S. at the BREDCO port in Bacolod City on Saturday.
As stipulated under Sugar Order No. 3, the Philippines permitted the export of 25,300 metric tons of raw sugar to fulfill its U.S. sugar quota allocation.
The timing, Azcona said, will help balance the supply of raw sugar in the country as milling begins this September.
The 25,300 metric tons of raw sugar come from the province of Negros Occidental. The loading process is being done manually, with an estimated 1,500 metric tons loaded each day.
“It will take about 15 days to complete the shipment, provided the weather cooperates,” Azcona said, adding that it will take another 30 days for the cargo to reach the United States.
Azcona thanked the traders participating in the program, even though they are exporting sugar at an estimated loss of ₱900 to ₱1,200 per bag.
He mentioned that around 30 sugar traders responded to the administration’s call last year to purchase domestic sugar, which helped stabilize farm gate prices that had dropped to a low of ₱2,400 per bag.
In exchange, the program allowed these traders the opportunity to import and export sugar when needed.
These traders purchased raw sugar at an average price of ₱2,700 per bag and sold it at the U.S. export price of ₱1,800 per bag, resulting in a loss of ₱900 per bag.
Azcona added that since these traders will also have the chance to import refined sugar, the cost of money and other fees incurred might allow them to recover their expenses with a slight profit.
Azcona also expressed gratitude to Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez for lifting the truck ban on sugar-loaded trucks en route to the port to expedite the loading of U.S.-bound sugar.
Bacolod enforces a truck ban in the city proper from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays.
However, the city accommodated the SRA’s request to allow uninterrupted loading of sugar within 15 days; otherwise, exporters would face additional fees for each day of delay, unless the disruption is weather-related.
