RAW sugar production fell 11 percent at 1.85 million metric tons (MT) from 2.079 million MT as of Aug. 2, while refined sugar output expanded 11.6 percent to 689,808 MT from 618,082 a year earlier, according to data from the Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA).
Domestic demand also weakened for raw sugar at 2.19 percent and refined sugar at 2.55 percent.
Physical inventories stood at 304,840 MT for raw sugar and 387,774 MT for refined sugar.
The volume of sugarcane milled dropped by 10.96 percent to 23.11 million MT from 25.954 million MT a year earlier.
Molasses production also declined by 7.3 percent to 1.085 million MT from 1.171 million MT.
However, Philippine sugar exports to the United States surged by 49.86 percent to 99,038 MT as of Aug. 2 from 66,086 MT in the comparable period last year.
The Philippines has likewise secured an export quota of 145,235 MT raw value (MTRV) of raw cane sugar to the US for fiscal year 2027. It is the second-largest export allocation after the Dominican Republic’s 189,343 MTRV. Brazil ranked third with 100,000 MTRV.
Under the US tariff-rate quota system, specified quantities of sugar may enter the US market at lower taxes, while shipments exceeding the quota are subject to higher duties.
To improve domestic production without expanding planting areas, the SRA has set the crop year from Oct. 1, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027 — to allow more time for the crop to mature and increase its sugar content.
Artificial sweeteners
Meanwhile, the SRA has tightened rules on imports of artificial sweeteners amid concerns from the local sugar sector.
Under Sugar Order 5 announced Aug. 18 on the SRA website, artificial sweetener imports require a clearance for release. Importers must pay a release fee of P25 per kilogram and submit documents, including an application letter, bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, and certificates of origin and analysis.
Based on the Department of Agriculture’s Bantay Presyo monitoring as of Aug. 20, refined sugar retailed at P80/kg; washed sugar, P75/kg; and brown sugar, P70/kg.
