SRA will import more sugar to boost output, meet demand

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said Thursday it would import 100,000 metric tons (MT) more of refined sugar to boost the country’s buffer stocks, as production volume fell short of the agency’s estimates this crop year. “There was a general decrease in the volume of production among our sugar producers due to El Niño, particularly in the Negros provinces where we source about 60 percent of our supply," SRA Deputy Administrator Aida Ignacio told GMANews.TV. “The demand for sugar now is very high since the consumption of [sodas] and juices had been very high during the summer months," Ignacio said. The SRA said the consumption of sugar rose by 23 percent. In a separate statement, the SRA said that production for crop-year 2009-2010 totaled 1.97 million metric tons (MT), or 210,000 MT off of the 2.18-million MT projection. The 100,000 MT refined sugar would be on top of the 150,000 MT that started arriving in the country from Thailand and Australia this week. “The initial volume of 150,000 [metric tons] imported may not be sufficient to tide the country over during the off-milling months," the SRA said. "Because of El Niño, canes are weak and low in sucrose, which discourages early milling. There is therefore a need to augment the buffer supply during this lean, off milling months," it added. —VS, GMANews.TV