THE Department of Agriculture (DA) and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) are stepping up support for the sugar industry which is grappling with pest infestation, drought risks, rising production costs and competition from artificial sweeteners.
The agencies will provide financial assistance and deploy chemical treatments, drones and biological controls to help farmers affected by the red-striped soft scale insect in the Visayas.The pest damages sugarcane by sucking sap from the plant and promoting the growth of black mold.Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government must combine direct assistance with policies and legislation that will help sugar farmers remain productive and competitive.The initiative follows instructions from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the DA and SRA to address the industry’s concerns.First lady Liza Araneta-Marcos is helping coordinate assistance efforts with stakeholders. Her visit to Negros, where she met farmers, workers, industry groups and government officials, helped lay the groundwork for the Sugar Industry Pest and Disaster Management Task Force.The task force will address production, climate, financing and disaster-related concerns confronting the industry.SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona said the measures were also intended to protect thousands of jobs in sugar-producing areas. He added that the SRA and DA had introduced policies to strengthen industry protection and transparency.The agencies are also considering tighter regulation of artificial sweeteners, which industry groups say are reducing demand for locally produced sugar.Artificial sweeteners accounted for 18.4 percent of the market in crop year 2024–2025, equivalent to 503,117 metric tons (MT), while demand for refined sugar declined by 13.89 percent, according to industry data.Tiu Laurel said the DA and SRA would study measures addressing the effect of sugar substitutes on domestic demand.SRA data showed raw sugar production fell by 11.02 percent to 1.85 million MT as of Sept. 13 from 2.08 million MT a year earlier.Refined sugar production, however, rose by 11.6 percent to 689,808 MT from 618,103 MT.Domestic demand for raw sugar declined by 2.6 percent to 1.8 million MT from 1.85 million MT. Demand for refined sugar increased by 3.62 percent to 627,528 MT from 605,600 MT.
