Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the country would be importing approximately 200,000 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar by September to fill the gap before the harvesting and milling seasons in October.

"We will have importation of sugar. [B]y September, we should have an arrival [of] at least 200,000 (metric) tons, refined, for the gap before harvest and refining. A minimum of 200,000 metric tons,” he told reporters during a dinner conversation in Makati City on Wednesday.

The Agri chief said the DA and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) will be discussing sugar imports in July.

According to him, the said import volume will be the deficit during the period, and the current sugar stocks are expected to decrease by August and September. 

“So we have to have gap sugar of 200,000 tons at least by September or October for that milling season, then milling will continue again... as of the moment, there is no raw [sugar]," Laurel said.

In May, a sugar planter's group favored the plans of importing sugar, as the El Niño phenomenon has adversely affected the sugar industry of the country.

United Sugar Producers Federation President Manuel Lamata said the suggested importation of 185,000 MT  to 200,000 MT of sugar will aid in meeting local requirements and will fill the gap between the El Niño and rainy seasons that began this month.

SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azconia earlier said that El Niño has affected the sugar cane crops for this year towards its tail end, adding that the phenomenon hit not only the sugar cane harvested this year but also those for next year’s production.

PAGASA declared the end of El Niño on 4 July last year. The phenomenon was officially terminated on 4 June.

Based on DA’s latest price watch, the retail price of refined sugar in major wet markets in Metro Manila is P74 to P92 per kilo while the price of washed sugar is P64 to P90 per kilo and brown sugar is P62 to P90 per kilo.