Sugar prices due to gov't inability to enforce SRP –sugar producers

Sugar producers said the government’s inability to enforce the suggested retail price (SRP) was the reason sugar prices were still high, according to Mariz Umali’s “24 Oras Weekend” report on Saturday.

“Hindi supply ang problema ng taas ng asukal. Ang problema dito po is the implementation of the SRP. Enforcement of government is what is lacking. Walang enforcement eh,” said United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) president Manuel Lamata.

UNIFED disapproved of the importation of sugar while milling was at its peak.

The UNIFED also said it had a stock of 6,000 metric tons of sugar, which led to a decrease in mill gate prices to P60 per kilo in the past three weeks.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who also serves as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), had directed the agency to speed up the importation of thousands of metric tons of sugar to stabilize the price of the commodity.

The DA said it would be helpful if the locally produced sugar could be sold in the market to stabilize the prices.

It added that the effects of the importation of sugar would not be immediately felt.

“Yan ang pinakamadali at pinakamabilis na solusyon for the rising prices of sugar. Kasi if we are waiting for the importation it will take time. Siguro ang pag-usapan lang natin dito is how to bring those sugar na sinasabi nila sa public markets na kailangan ng ating mga kababayan,” DA Deputy Spokesperson Rex Estoperez said.

Meanwhile, the prices of white sugar per kilo at Mega Q-Mart stood at P110, while washed sugar was at P92, and P90 for golden brown sugar.

“Mataas pa rin po ang kuha eh, mahirap po magbenta ng palugi. Hindi po kikita,” sugar vendor Arnold Endozo said.

The prices of white sugar per kilo at the Kamuning market, on the other hand, stood at P95 to P100, P86 to P90 for the washed sugar, and P84 to P85 for brown sugar. — DVM, GMA Integrated News