The country’s sugar industry has sought the help of lawmakers to prevent its looming demise following the drastic decline of mill gate prices of sugar, impacting sugar farmers in agricultural communities.

According to the Confederation of Sugar Producers’ Associations (CONFED), the decline in the mill gate prices from October to December has resulted in P5.3 billion losses from sugar sales and P1.73 billion from molasses sales or a total of P7.28 billion.

Even former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Rafael Coscolluela, who attended the public consultation conducted by the Senate and House of Representatives last week in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, blamed the drastic decline in mill gate prices on the oversupply of imported refined sugar, large inventories of raw sugar, unchecked molasses importation, and unregulated entry of sugar substitutes.

Moreover, Coscolluela also attributed the revenue losses to the rising labor cost, inadequacy of manpower, pest infestations, and natural calamities.

Responding to the urgent cries of local farmers and producers, Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez filed House Resolution No. 373, which called for a formal investigation into the drastic decline of mill gate sugar prices and its far-reaching impact on agricultural communities.

Benitez emphasized that the industry is indeed facing an unprecedented emergency that threatens the livelihoods of thousands of Negrosanon families.

“The sugar industry across the country is once again in a critical state. The alarm has been sounded many times. Experts have warned of collapse. Stakeholders have cried out for help. Time is no longer on our side. This is an emergency. The stage of symptoms has passed. What the industry needs now is resuscitation,” he said during the public consultation.

He also pointed to a compounding set of factors driving the crisis, including the alleged over-importation of refined sugar and proliferation of artificial sweeteners, and soaring costs for fertilizer and fuel.

Benited noted that while the global market outlook remains promising, local producers are trapped in a cycle of hardship exacerbated by El Niño and pest infestations.

The consultation served as a massive show of force for the sugar sector, with key industry groups present, including the CONFED, United Sugar Producers Federation, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, and Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers.

Also, in attendance were representatives from the Sugar Master Plan Foundation Inc., Philippine Sugar Millers Association, and the Association of Sugar Planters, alongside several local cooperatives and agrarian reform beneficiary groups.

Rep. Benitez was joined by Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform Chair Sen. Kiko Pangilinan and House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chair Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, among other lawmakers.

Furthermore, Rep. Benitez stressed that the inquiry’s primary goal is to revisit the SRA and legislative bodies to balance production and stabilize prices.

“Our shared purpose is to find sustainable solutions that will secure the lifeline of the sugar industry,” he said. “We till the same soil. We plant the same ‘patdan’. We live in the same industry. And no matter how diverse our roles may be, the challenges we face affect us on every level.”