The government will defer its decision on sugar importation until mid-2025, following a meeting between Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA) Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona on 7 November. The delay is intended to allow a clearer understanding of domestic supply after the conclusion of the current crop year’s harvest.
Secretary Tiu Laurel emphasized that there is no immediate need for additional sugar imports, as domestic supply remains stable and sufficient to meet projected demand. “Given the current situation, Administrator Azcona and I agreed that a decision on sugar importation could be delayed until after May, when the current harvest season ends,” Tiu Laurel said.
Azcona also confirmed the stability of supply, noting that while the harvest season began slower than expected, sugar production is expected to improve in the coming months. “We are just beginning our harvest season, so we agree to delay the decision on sugar imports until after harvest, sometime in May,” Azcona said.
However, the current crop season has been impacted by El Niño, which has resulted in a 16 percent decrease in sugar content per ton of cane, leading to reduced overall sugar output. Azcona explained that farmers had to delay harvests to allow the cane to mature and increase sugar content.
This year’s sugar production is projected to reach 1.782 million metric tons, a 7.2 percent drop from the previous year, according to SRA estimates. In line with this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts a 3.6 percent decline in Philippine raw sugar production, predicting output to fall to 1.85 million metric tons from 1.92 million metric tons in the last crop year.
The current sugar harvest season runs through August 2025, and the government plans to reassess the situation after that time to determine if imports will be necessary.
