Unifarms: SRA must take a stand

PLANTERS belonging to the United Farmers of Negros South Inc. (Unifarms) strongly demands for the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to “take a stand.”

Planters is urging SRA administrator “to issue a statement” with regard the sugar importation.

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Last Wednesday, Malacañang issued Executive Order No.857 which, the government, through the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority (NFA) pushed to import 60,000 metric tons of sugar on April 30, as a first tranche and 90,000 metric tons by June.

Unifarms president and Hinigaran Vice Mayor Jose Nadie Arceo said there is no need for the country to import sugar because there is no sugar shortage in the country.

“SRA should come out with a statement of what is his stand on sugar importation. Did the government come up with the decision based on SRA recommendation?” asked Arceo.

Arceo also said the SRA should dig deeper into the situation about the soaring prices of sugar in the country.

“Look who is responsible for this, he should compel the traders not to hoard and penalties must be imposed by the government against hoarders,” stressed Arceo.

Arceo said Coscolluela should have explained to the government that there are enough stocks of sugar at this time.

In fact during the opening of the milling season, we have D Sugar or Export or Excess Sugar, which SRA allocated, said Arceo, adding SRA has estimated a surplus for the sugar stocks.

“If we continue with the importation, Arceo said, my worry would be the coming 2010 to 2011 milling that we will be flooded with sugar. We are in a very awkward situation,” said Arceo.

This coming milling year the local production of sugar is expected to increase as against this year because our sugar farmers now would be able to plant the lands, which they failed to plant this year.

Their sugarland would be irrigated and the farmers could afford enough fertilizers for their sugarcane because of the good prices of sugar now, Arceo further said.

“What’s strange with the government and the SRA is that, they have not intervened into the situation when in the previous years, the prices of fertilizers were too high for the sugar producers. But now, when it is only this year that the planters enjoy good prices of sugar, they immediately intervened into the situation”, Arceo lamented.