THE suspension of molasses importation will be extended until March 2026, an official of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, in a statement issued Wednesday, November 26, 2025, said the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the SRA have agreed to extend Molasses Order No. 1, which places a moratorium on molasses importation until the end of March next year.
In his recommendation to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, Azcona said the Board found the extension necessary, noting that local stock levels remain at around 250,000 metric tons—considered ample for domestic use.
Azcona reported that milling operations began on October 1, 2025, in Negros Island, with molasses production reaching nearly 84,000 metric tons as of November 9.
In Molasses Order No. 1 dated September 30, 2025, the order suspended the entry of imported molasses until the end of this year to prevent farmer prices from falling further.
A 21-percent increase in molasses production last milling season, coupled with additional imported supply, pushed prices down by almost half to below P10,000 per metric ton in early November.
Despite the moratorium, Azcona said stock levels remain high.
“The extension will help relieve our millers’ tanks of local stock and, hopefully, support better molasses prices,” he said.
Tiu-Laurel said that based on the SRA's recommendation, and in the interest of farmers and millers, they have agreed to extend the moratorium on molasses imports until March 30, 2026—or further, depending on local stock levels.
The SRA and the DA may amend the moratorium order as needed, depending on total molasses inventory.
It can be recalled that only locally produced molasses is allowed to be used for bioethanol production, while both local and imported molasses may be used for baking, confectionery, cooking, beverages, animal feeds, vinegar, citric acid, and potable and sanitary alcohol, among others. (MAP)