Following an order from the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA) will investigate volumes of ‘other sugar’ products coming into the country following reports of their unregulated entries in ‘staggering quantities'.

This, after the United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED), along with other sugar stakeholders, raised concerns with the agri department about the alleged arrival of an ‘alarming volume’ of other sugars, reportedly reaching 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons per year.

According to UNIFED president Manuel Lamata, the volume of sugar premixes represents about 4 million bags, valued at roughly P10 billion.

“The continued lack of regulation for these sugar-based products is highly detrimental to the sugar industry,” he said, adding that the unscrupulous business is also a probable cause of local demand for sugar stagnating in the past decade.

In a statement, Lamata said he is thankful for the “swift response” from the Agri chief Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., promptly ordering SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona to “look into the actual volumes of other sugars coming into the country and, if warranted, require them to acquire clearances as well.”

Citing tariff code 17.02 of the ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature, the sugar planters group stressed that only high fructose corn syrup is strictly regulated when the sugar industry demanded that products using this sweetener be taxed higher after a slump in sugar demand some eight years ago.

However, Lamata said other sugars like glucose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, maltodextrin, and lactose, among others, are not being regulated.

“We hope that Administrator Azcona will make this a priority and can provide us updates before the next milling season starts,” said UNIFED.