Philippines' Sugar Industry Undergoes Four-Year Reforms to Stabilize Supply

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has implemented reforms over the span of four years to help stabilize sugar supply, prices and to support sugarcane farmers amid weather disruptions and "volatile global markets." In a statement on Friday, the SRA said that it has implemented several reforms, one of the most significant of which is a policy that directed 100% of locally produced sugar to be reserved for the local market. As part of efforts to improve local production, the SRA said the sugarcane cropping calendar was shifted from September 1 to August 31, to October 1 to September 30. The SRA said this allowed the sugarcane to mature longer, thereby increasing its sugar content, enabling mills to extract more sugar from every ton they harvested. Other reforms include expanded oversight of alternative sweeteners and sugar substitutes by mandating glucose, dextrose and sugar syrups importers to register and secure an SRA clearance before these are released. The agency also tightened regulations on molasses imports to support local producers and ensure adequate supplies for the domestic bioethanol industry. The SRA also said that more than 160 tractors, as well as hundreds of farm implements, mechanized planters and hauling trucks were distributed to farmer cooperatives and associations. “These reforms are about creating a stronger, more resilient sugar industry that can withstand climate shocks and market volatility,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said. — Jean Mangaluz/BAP, GMA News