PH sugar supply enough, producers say

Sugar supply in the Philippines remains sufficient, a group of producers said on Thursday, as the prices of some goods continued to rise. 

“Dami tayong supply ngayon, wala tayong problema po,” United Sugar Producers Federation president Manuel Lamata told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

(We have a lot of supply now, we don't have any problem.)

But he said sugar prices remained high because imported sugar is sold to industry players like softdrink bottlers. 

• Sugar producers say high prices of sugar not driven by supply shortage
• Supplier backs importation of refined sugar to address deficiency
• Ilang mambabatas tutol sa sugar importation sa gitna ng mataas na presyo

“As I have always said wala kaming problema mag-import, provided the importation be for the producers and for the consumers, hindi po ibigay sa industrial kasi hindi nakikinabang 'yung nation po eh. It’s only the bottlers that are going to benefit from this and nobody else,” Lamata said.

(We have no problem with importation, provided the importation be for the producers and for the consumers, and not solely for the industrial sector because the nation does not benefit that way.) 

 — TeleRadyo, 16 June 2022