SUGAR Board Member Emilio Yulo III said Sunday, April 22, that the 9,196 metric tons of imported high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) of Pepsi Cola will be destroyed as it would no longer be sold to an alcohol company.
Yulo said that during the recent meeting this month, the Sugar Board denied the request of Pepsi to again reclassify their imported HFCS to “B” sugar since it is going to be sold to an alcohol company.
“We revert to the original approval, which is for destruction and disposition by the two disposal companies engaged by Pepsi,” Yulo said.
He said the Sugar Board went back to the March 26 meeting it approved.
“Although it was not a unanimous vote, they have hired two DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) accredited disposal firms. The HFCS will be dumped,” he said.
The Sugar Board decision came after sugar industry leaders signified their opposition and urged the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to reconsider its decision in allowing the conversion of HFCS.
Industry leaders stressed that what the soft drink company did was against their will and that they should pay the consequences of their action of buying HFCS.
Meanwhile, Yulo said sugar farmers are enjoying the good millgate price of sugar at nearly P1,700 per bag.
“This is due to the favorable weather condition. It will enable our farmers to recover from their loses particularly from September to December last year when sugar price was low,” Yulo said.
He said sugar mills in the province continue with the milling unlike in other provinces that some have already closed.
In the province, there are still huge sugar plantation that is up for milling because of the lack of laborers, he added. (Teresa D. Ellera)