A PLANTERS association has expressed an all-out support pushing for the conversion of the Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQ) of the United States of America allocations of sugar for local industrial consumers.
The Negros Del Norte Planters Association, Inc. (NDNPAI) in a certification issued by Secretary Manuel Frederick Ko, passed a resolution on October 4 declaring 100 percent support to the call of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri urging the Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to pursue all-out efforts to uplift the current depressed condition of the Philippine Sugar Industry by, specifically, pushing for the conversion of TRQ of the U.S. allocations of sugar for local industrial consumers.
The resolution also states that NDNPAI strongly calls for an 'All-out' "B" domestic sugar for the current Crop Year 2019-2020, instead of SRA Sugar Order No. 2 which classifies sugar as "A" (for export to the USA) at 5 percent and "B" (domestic sugar) at 95 percent.
It also stated that the NDNPAI commits to fully support the Senate Resolution of Zubiri to help ensure the continuing viability of NDNPAI planters in particular, and the entire Philippine Sugar Industry, in general.
Sugar Board Member Emilio Yulo earlier explained that classifying sugar for domestic use could save the local producers because of higher farmgate price which was pegged at P1,500 plus per kilogram bag (Lkg) compared to U.S. Quota which price was only pegged at more than P1,000 per Lkg.