SUGAR industry stakeholders clapped back at Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo R. Serafica’s allegations that their opposition to the proposed sugar importation was “politically” charged, claiming that their stance has been “factual” and “legal.”
Various sugar industry stakeholders, including former and current SRA board members, said their opposition to the proposed 350,000-metric ton (MT) sugar importation by the SRA is “nothing political” but is for the “survival” of the industry.
The stakeholders made the reaction after the SRA administrator issued a strongly-worded statement, daring the “detractors” of the proposed importation program to be accountable should a sugar shortage occur in the upcoming months.
Without naming names, Serafica lamented that the issue on sugar importation has become “very political” because of the “stoking” of people, who only consider their “self interests.”
“Serafica is clearly missing the point. There is no politics involved in our opposition to Sugar Order (SO) 4, but the survival of the sugar industry,” former SRA board member for sugar planters Emilio Bernardino Yulo said.
Yulo, who is running for congressman of Negros Occidental’s fifth district, argued that sugar planters will not just sit down regarding the import issue as they see the proposed importation will only benefit certain quarters of the sugar industry.
“Obviously amidst the prevailing circumstances wherein fertilizers and fuel costs are soaring, Serafica should not expect planters to take these sitting down especially when it is very clear that the new sugar order will benefit a particular sector, in this case, the industrial users and the bottlers’ group,” he said.
Enrique Tayo of the Negros Occidental Federation of Farmers Association claimed that his group’s opposition to the importation program are “factual” and has a “legal basis.”
“There is nothing political in our move to question the draft SO 4 because our claims are factual and have legal basis, and no such political considerations,” Tayo said. Tayo’s group earlier sought a temporary restraining order on the SRA’s earlier approved 200,000-MT raw sugar import program under SO 3.
Current SRA board member Roland Beltran, who represents the milling sector, emphasized his concern regarding the proposed import program being “limited to a particular class of importers.”
Beltran has been pushing to make sugar importation programs “all inclusive” to eligible importers, traders and users of the sweetener.
“Why not allow the major stakeholders to participate in the importation program rather than to a select few, favoring a particular class of importers to the prejudice of the sugar industry as well as the economy in general,” he said.
““It is my position that the sugar importation program should be made available equitably to major stakeholders and to benefit the sari-sari stores, wet markets, groceries, supermarkets, and the like. These are the vulnerable sectors of our society that are principally affected by the rising prices of sugar,” he added.
Beltran has not signed the SO of the 350,000-MT sugar import program as of press time.
Earlier, Serafica stood pat on the SRA’s proposal to import sugar as he sounded the alarm that the country may grapple with high prices of the sweetener due to a shortage expected by the third quarter.
Serafica explained that the country’s sugar supply could face a shortfall in the coming months as higher demand continues to outpace anemic production of the sweetener.
The SRA administrator maintained that the agency’s assessment of the country’s sugar supply situation is sound, based on historical and actual data.
“Can you imagine what will happen if there is no sugar available in the local market for households, for food retailers and manufacturers?” he asked.
“I would like to ask the detractors of importation: will they be accountable when we run out of sugar?” he added.