A sugar planter’s group on Sunday favored the importation of sugar as the El Niño phenomenon has adversely affected the sugar industry of the country.

According to United Sugar Producers Federation President Manuel Lamata, the suggested importation of 185,000 metric tons (MT) to 200,000 MT of sugar cane will aid in meeting local requirements.

He added that the imports will fill the gap between the El Niño and rainy seasons, which are expected to begin in June.

“Maybe here in the gap, we will let the imported sugar enter. Let’s import,” he said in a radio interview. Lamata further described the El-Niño hit sugar crops as “really, really bad.”

“If you look at crops, they’re really pitiful. It’s really like they are burnt,” he described. “It is really dried up. I don’t know if (the crops) can recover even if it rains.”

Thus, Lamata said the production output will decline and may also be delayed. “When it rains in the next few weeks, planting will begin,” he noted.

“I saw on the ground that the [production] was really lacking. The [proposal to import] 185,000 to 200,000 metric tons of sugar is correct,” Lamata added.

Last week, Sugar Regulatory Administration administrator Pablo Luis Azconia said that El Niño has affected the sugarcane crops for this year towards its tail end, adding that the phenomenon hit not only the sugarcane harvested this year but also those for next year’s production.