Stakeholders call DA, SRA to regulate sugar substitutes

Stakeholders call DA, SRA to regulate sugar substitutes | Daily Tribune

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) have received a unified appeal from players in the country’s sugar industry, urging the government to regulate artificial sweeteners and strengthen controls on other sugar substitutes that industry players say are cutting into demand for locally produced cane sugar.

The manifesto, submitted to the SRA on 30 January and formally forwarded to the DA, was signed by major sugar federations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as sugar millers, refiners, and allied groups — marking a rare show of consensus in an industry often divided by regional and sectoral interests.

“After various consultative meetings with sugar industry stakeholders initiated by the DA and the SRA, the issue of artificial sweeteners has brought the sugar industry to a momentous unity,” said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr last Friday.

“We have received today, through the SRA, a manifesto asking the government to regulate the importation and use of artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes. The DA and SRA will surely work on this, as this is an extraneous force affecting the demand for locally produced sugar,” he added.

Concerns over sugar substitutes first gained prominence in 2024, when the DA and SRA flagged a surge in imports of high-intensity sweeteners used by food and beverage manufacturers.

In August 2024, the SRA reported substitute imports valued at over P7 billion annually, equivalent to demand displacement of roughly 600,000–700,000 metric tons of raw sugar.

By late 2024, consultations were held with planters and millers — particularly in Negros Occidental, which accounts for about 55 percent of national sugar output — after farmgate prices softened despite stable production.

The talks led to enhanced monitoring of import volumes, pricing, and end-use declarations, while also laying the groundwork for a policy review aimed at protecting domestic sugar demand while balancing consumer and industry needs.

Since then, the agencies have begun developing a policy framework to more closely monitor the importation of sugar substitutes and strengthen data collection on volumes and market impact.

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona highlighted the significance of the industry’s collective position, noting that the issue has also been raised with local government units, including Negros Occidental, one of the country’s largest sugar-producing provinces.

“We have brought this issue to the attention of all the stakeholders involved, and after meetings with leaders, I am very happy that everyone has come together for this common cause,” he said.

“It is probably one of the few times the stakeholders have one common stand, and the SRA will surely take action,” he added.

The DA and SRA said the manifesto adds urgency to the challenge of balancing shifting consumer preferences, the needs of food manufacturers, and the long-term sustainability of the domestic sugar industry. With demand increasingly influenced by alternative sweeteners, the agencies said the issue is now firmly on the government’s agricultural policy agenda.