By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona refuted claims of an oversupply of sugar, which some groups alleged triggered the decline in sugar prices.
In a statement provided to Daily Guardian on Monday, Azcona said, “Sugar stock levels have been constant over the past few months. Claims from certain groups that an oversupply has caused a drop in sugar prices are laced with malice—unless their goal is to create the perception of oversupply to purposely lower prices for reasons they only know.”
Azcona criticized the presumption by the Sugar Council and the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) that the joint announcement by the SRA and the Department of Agriculture (DA) regarding the absence of additional sugar imports until post-harvest was meant to curb mill gate price declines.
“There was no other intention for that announcement than to uphold our mandate for transparency and keep stakeholders informed,” Azcona said. “The Sugar Council would know this if they attended the stakeholders’ meetings called by the DA and SRA, rather than spreading lies through the media to sow division and instability in the industry.”
He added, “I used to respect those so-called sugar leaders, who I thought were my friends since childhood. I’ve always reiterated that I am just a phone call away. However, they choose to air their concerns in the media to destabilize the industry and send letters after the fact. That does not sit well with me.”
Azcona clarified that the announcement of no importation until the end of the harvest season—expected around May or June, depending on conditions—was meant solely to update stakeholders.
“Their opinion that it was meant to curb prices is their own skewed perception,” he said.
Azcona emphasized that all SRA and DA plans are discussed in stakeholder meetings led by DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel. He noted that the most recent meeting took place on August 6, but the Sugar Council declined to attend, as it had in prior instances.
He reiterated that sugar stocks remain at proper levels to maintain adequate buffers.
“As of November 10, 2024, sugar production is down by 61%. We have prepared for this with appropriate buffer supplies,” Azcona said. “Regarding claims of oversupply for both raw and refined sugar, our current levels are 35-37% lower than last year’s figures.”
Azcona urged the Sugar Council to participate in consultative meetings instead of spreading misinformation.
“It is also part of SRA’s charter that we have no role in marketing or pricing sugar, and all stakeholders are aware of this,” he said.
Earlier, the Sugar Council and NACUSIP, in a joint statement sent to The Daily Guardian on Sunday, criticized the DA and SRA’s announcement of no further sugar imports during the current harvest season.
The groups argued that the assurance was ineffective in halting the steady decline in mill gate sugar prices. They claimed the fundamentals needed to stabilize prices were absent, rendering the announcement insufficient to address recent price drops.
