Agriculture Secretary William Dar has welcomed the approval of the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for the inclusion of refined sugar in the relief packs being distributed by local government units (LGUs) to their respective constituents in Metro Manila and other urban centers nationwide during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Dar said LGUs can now include at least two kilograms (kg) of sugar in their relief packs. The initiative is part of the strategy of the Department of Agriculture (DA) through its Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to boost demand for local sugar, said Dar.
“Through this, we can ease the pressure brought about by the high supply of the sweetener.”
“Through this, we can ease the pressure brought about by the high supply of the sweetener,” the agriculture chief said, noting that a stable market will not only benefit consumers but also sugarcane farmers, who are harvesting their crops for the current milling season.
According to the DA-SRA, sugar traders have been experiencing 30 % to 40% decrease in orders from food manufacturers and other institutional buyers as a result of the ECQ in Luzon and in other parts of the country.
“We are hopeful to offset the slowdown in demand for sugar during the quarantine period.”
“With the IATF approval, we are hopeful to offset the slowdown in demand for sugar during the quarantine period,” the agriculture head said.
As of April 12, the DA-SRA said there is enough sugar supply in trader warehouses in Luzon – with a total raw sugar stock balance of 1.793 million 50-kilogram bags (Lkg), while refined sugar stock balance is at 2.2 million Lkg bags.
Nationwide, the DA-SRA said the total sugar output is pegged at 12.3 million Lkg, while withdrawals were estimated at 8.8 million Lkg.
Meanwhile according to Dar, almost all groceries and supermarkets follow the suggested retail price for both raw and refined sugar.
Refined sugar should be retailed at P50 per kilogram (kg) and brown sugar at P45/kg.
Dar said the DA Bantay Presyo Task Force, in tandem with the DTI and market administrators, has issued ‘notices of violation’ to retailers in public markets that were found to have violated the SRP rates.
Dar warns profiteers and unscrupulous traders that the DA and DTI will not hesitate to file charges against them if they continue to violate the price freeze and SRP policies, and manipulate the supply, marketing and prices of basic agri-fishery goods.