Philippines : JV Ejercito pushes reforms to protect sugarcane farmers from losses and over-importation
JV Ejercito proposed Senate Bill 2114 to curb excessive sugar imports, strengthen the Sugar Regulatory Administration, and improve use of sugar industry funds. The bill aims to protect 88,000 farmers, address low productivity and outdated mills, and stabilize the Philippines sugar sector.
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. JV Ejercito filed Senate Bill (SB) 2114 to address over importation of sugar and protect local producers from unfair competition amid declining incomes of farmers and workers.
The senator said SB 2114 seeks to strengthen the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and rationalize the use of sugar industry funds.
The Senate deputy majority leader said the sugar industry is an “important pillar of agriculture” in the country as some 88,000 sugarcane farmers depend their livelihood on it.
“We must address this problem in the sugar industry immediately because of it contributes a lot to food security, renewable energy, and countryside development,” Ejercito said in a statement in Filipino.
“Ultimately, this bill aims to build a more competitive, sustainable, and inclusive sugar industry that not only drives economic growth but also uplifts the lives of those who depend on it,” he said.
Ejercito said the sugar industry continues to face long-standing challenges such as over-importation, low farm productivity, outdated milling system, limited access to financing, weak infrastructure, and increasing global competition.
He flagged the apparent inefficient implementation of the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA), noting that available funds have not been fully utilized to benefit farmers and stakeholders.
He said the reported utilization rates ranged only from about 10 percent to 18 percent, “reflecting serious gaps in absorptive capacity, planning, and program execution.”
He said Republic Act 10659, or the SIDA Law of 2015, was enacted to promote the growth and competitiveness of the Philippine sugar industry through productivity enhancement, infrastructure development, human resource development, and research initiatives.
Ejercito said the continued instability in sugar supply and pricing, attributed to importation policies that may be contributing to oversupply.
“Such oversupply conditions have reportedly resulted in foregone revenues amounting to approximately P11.8 billion for sugar alone, thereby significantly impacting farmer incomes and industry sustainability,” he said.
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Source : The Manila Times
