THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday said it is working with its attached agency, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), to ensure stable access to farm inputs following concerns of global petroleum supply disruption amid the war in Iran.
Farm input supply is crucial in protecting output and preventing a snowball effect of price hikes across the country‘s sugar supply chain, the SRA said.
Fuel demand in the sugar sector usually rises at the peak of its harvest season, the DA said, as farmers transport their produce to sugar mills and prepare fields for the next cropping cycle.
Irrigation systems, hauling operations, and tractors used for land preparation are likewise heavily dependent on fuel, the DA noted, adding that the sugar sector is entering its most resource-consuming phase as farmers increase fertilizer use for the next planting cycle.
Last week, the SRA met with sugar federations for recommendations on possible government interventions in case global tensions lead to supply disruptions and price spikes in petroleum-based inputs. These concerns were then forwarded to the SRA board by farmers’ representative David Sanson.
“We have asked the help of [Agriculture] Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel to bring the problems of our sugar farmers caused by the Middle East conflict to the Department of Energy and other government agencies,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said.
In response, Tiu Laurel said, “We will work to ensure a stable supply of fuel and fertilizer, as well as other inputs — not only for sugar farmers but for all Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.”