Seized sugar are seen sold at government-sanctioned Kadiwa rolling stores at P70 a kilo starting this month, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Pablo Azcona, planters’ representative at SRA, said that revisions to an internal document approved only this week will allow 4,000 metric tons (MT) or 80,000 bags of smuggled refined sugar to begin selling.
Azcona said the agency is fast tracking the process and that the delay is only due to logistical issues.
The SRA said consultative meetings with stakeholders were conducted to set the suggested retail price so that it should not matter whether the sugar was locally produced or an imported supply.
Azcona said the SRA is considering for sugar to sell at P85 a kilo but that a few stakeholders, mostly millers, requested more time to submit their recommendation.
The SRA also bared preparations to include the provision of pumps and irrigation equipment for farms with no access to water and cloud seeding operations of the government.
Azcona said industry estimates show farm production losses as high as 10 to 15 percent next year from El Niño weather disruptions unless interventions are conducted.
Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture (DA) senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban will serve as officer-in-charge (OIC) administrator at SRA for now.
“The urgency of having an OIC is because we still have imports coming in. We are continuing the issuance of import clearances,” Azcona said.
