Nothing final on sugar importation, claim planters

Sugar planters emphasized yesterday that no decision has yet been made on whether to import sugar this year or not, even as they criticized certain sectors for issuing statements about imported sugar arriving this March to benefit their own interest.

The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), one of the country’s biggest sugar farmers organization, said that because of reports of sugar importation this March, sugar prices have gone down, affecting the livelihood of thousands of sugar farmers at a time when sugarcane is being harvested.

NFSP president Enrique Rojas said ‘it is deplorable that certain individuals have been make irresponsible and sweeping statements that 300,000 tons of foreign sugar have been ordered and that the first shipment will be arriving this March.’

Rojas emphasized that at the moment, there is still no need to import sugar, and that no decision has yet been made by the Philippine Sugar Alliance – which includes all planters and millers’ associations as well as the government’s Sugar Regulatory Administration – on the matter.

"What we have only discussed is that an evaluation will be made in either late May or June of this year, and that we will jointly and severally, after due consultation with all sectors, consider if any importation will be needed this year," he said.

The NFSP chief noted that the figure of 300,000 tons is just a figment of the imagination.

SRA Administrator Nicolas Alonso, reacting to the drop in sugar prices resulting from the premature announcements of a sugar importation, said that as early as November of last year, he already said that "we will consider any possible importation only be either late May or June of 2001, and so it is erroneous for anyone to say that by March this year, imported sugar will be coming in."

"That sweeping statement made by anyone which is not based on factual evidence could affect sugar prices. The low prices this week is clear proof that certain statements have triggered the depressed prices of sugar," he said.

As this developed, three major sugar planters’ federations, namely, the NFSP, Unifed, and Panayfed, recommended to President Arroyo the appointment of sugarman Rafael Golez as SRA chief.

They said that aside from being a respected and experienced sugarman, Golez has the courage and determination to pursue the much-needed modernization of the sugar industry, in line with the declared policy of the Arroyo administration. – Mary Ann Reyes