Sugar prices surge past P100/kilo in Metro Manila markets

Prices of sugar have surged past P100 per kilogram in select markets in Metro Manila, ahead of the milling season and the scheduled importation of the commodity in the coming months.

According to Dano Tingcungco's Sunday “24 Oras Weekend” report, prices of sugar in a market in Blumentritt, Manila increased by P11 per kilogram to P107 in a week.

Prices were reported to have been P96 per kilogram last Monday, before being hiked to P98 per kilogram on Wednesday, and to P107 per kilogram on Friday.

At the Trabajo Market in Sampaloc, vendors also started to increase prices to hit P100 per kilogram.

The latest data available from the Department of Agriculture (DA) show that prices per kilogram averaged P100 for refined sugar, P75 for washed sugar, and P80 for brown sugar in Metro Manila as of September 29, 2022.

GMA News is still trying to reach the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) for comment on the latest development.

The agency last month issued Sugar Order 2, which authorized the importation of 150,000 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar, with 75,000 MT going to industrial users and the other 75,000MT for consumers.

SRA Acting Administrator David Alba last month also said that the local supply is set to normalize by November when the mills and refineries will be in operation.

The SRA also earlier issued Sugar Order 1, which effectively allocates all sugar production for the crop year 2022-2023 for domestic use. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News